


Sins of the Past

by Apex_Primus



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Cross-Posted on Tumblr, F/F, F/M, Julerose - Freeform, M/M, Next Generation, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sporadic Updating, ml angst, ml salt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-11
Updated: 2020-03-16
Packaged: 2020-11-02 03:18:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 24,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20604284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Apex_Primus/pseuds/Apex_Primus
Summary: Evil triumphs when good people do nothing. Marinette was just a normal girl with a normal life who stood up to bullies, but her friends walked away. Fifteen years later, Kamala is a not-so-normal girl who wants to be left alone, but when she finds a pair of Ladybug earrings and the ghost of a girl claiming to be the Ladybug, she can't walk away.





	1. Not-so-Normal

**Author's Note:**

> Originally, this started out as a "What if?" scenario where ML salt never had a satisfying conclusion in the present canon. I realized that no one had really tapped into that concept, so I developed it and turned it into a narrative comment on current issues in the show right now that I'd like to see fixed in "the future".

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fifteen years ago, a normal girl with a normal life lost everything.  
Fifteen years later, a not-so-normal girl with a not-so-normal life treads the same paths.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng sat alone atop her balcony, knees tucked to her chest and face buried in her arms. Sobs wracked her body as dark clouds rumbled over Paris. The forecasted rainfall hadn’t started yet, but amidst her tears and snot, she could smell the moisture in the air. It was warm. Tense.

She’d been up here for an hour, maybe longer. Her parents hadn’t heard her come in, seeing as she was supposed to be at school. But being in that place… with her? That monster?

Her fingers dragged along her jeans and she curled them into fists. An angry fire burned in the pit of her stomach and she grit her teeth to bar any venomous words from spilling out. That didn’t stop them from pooling in her head, bouncing around her mind as today’s events replayed in her head.

Usually, she was able to endure the entire school day before coming home to vent. Today, however, things had gone farther than ever before.

_“What did I tell you? All your friends are mine.”_

Lila had cornered her in the classroom during lunch. She’d forgotten her journal, or at least she thought she did. Separated from the others, she found Lila holding it, sifting through the pages. She’d frozen at first, shocked and horrified. Her nemesis had pulled at a few pages, taunting her with a smirk.

_“You’ve got one more chance, Marinette. Give up or get lost.”_

She’d stood her ground. They were alone, no one would see them. This wasn’t outing her, just reaffirming her stance. She could back down and not rile her up, like Adrien said, but she had to do this. Because the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing.

So, she did something, she stood her ground. Then, Lila took her journal and smacked herself in the face.

She remembered staring, stunned, and then hearing her class gasp when they walked in on them. Alya had run over, shoving her aside to get to Lila, who feigned agony as she teared up. Kim and Alix pulled her back while everyone glared. Her ears rang as they bombarded her with crass remarks and demands.

_“What’s wrong with you?”_

_“How could you hurt Lila?”_

_“What has she ever done to you?”_

_“I thought you were supposed to be our Everyday Ladybug?”_

In the end, it’d been too much to handle and she ran. She pushed them out of the way, barreling down the walkway and the stairs. She left her book bag behind, along with her courage and integrity. She couldn’t handle it anymore.

She didn’t stop running until she was at the bottom of the front steps and a hand grabbed her wrist. She didn’t hear Adrien until he turned her around to face him.

_“Marinette, what happened?”_ He’d held her face, wiping away a tear. Though it was a gentle touch, a chill ran up her spine. _“Did something happen?”_

She told him everything. The confrontation. The threats, before and now. The lengths Lila was willing to go to make sure she destroyed her. But what did Adrien do? What did he do besides harden his gaze and ask her why she had riled her up. Why had she stood up to Lila? It was only going to get her akumatized.

Marinette dug her nails into her arms, threatening to draw blood. She choked on a sob as her heart cracked again, the love she’d felt now revealing its ugly truth. The obsession she’d held leaving her as its roots ripped themselves out from nearly every facet of her being.

_“You’re just another bully, Marinette.”_

The hand she’d used to slap him still stung, but the pain felt… good. Right. She clenched her hand and held the burning heat in her palm. Thunder rumbled above her and lightning clapped in the far distance.

She held onto that memory of lost innocence as a drop of rain touched her head. Looking up, she watched the rain fall. It was cold and wet, but she couldn’t be bothered to move. Instead, she sat there, face raised to the heavens, as the rain washed her pain away. In the end, she was left cold and empty, the only thing left inside of her hollow heart being a revelation.

“So, this is what happens when good people do nothing….”

In that moment, amidst the calming chaos of the storm, she felt the cold touch of fingertips on the surface of her mind.

“Bonjour, little bug.”

* * *

_Fifteen Years Later_

It was just another normal day in Paris. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the city was bustling. Cars drove past green lights, stopped at reds, and slowed up to yellow ones. Pedestrians walked to and from work, making their way through their daily lives. Meanwhile, kids filtered into their schools, prepared for another day of learning. Well, almost all of them.

One teen, dressed in worn jeans and a baggy hoodie, paced anxiously before the front steps of Collège Françoise Dupont. Her hands were jammed in her pockets and her hood was drawn up, hiding her dark-skinned face as she muttered to herself.

“Nobody’s going to notice you. You’re just the totally normal, new kid.” She stopped and looked up at the front doors. A dozen possible disastrous futures played out in her head and she grimaced. “But what if someone does recognize me?”

She debated her options, balancing the pros and cons. In the end, however, it was the bell that made the decision for her.

The sudden, shrill ringing jump started her fight or flight instincts and, between going home or facing her parents’ wrath, she flew up the stairs to class. She only slowed down when she got inside, finding herself in a large courtyard. Apparently, the second floor was accessible by walkway instead of a whole, walled off stairs and hallway. Weird.

Whipping out her schedule, she checked her room number and then glanced around at the tags next to each door, trying to find a pattern. Figuring it out, she made her way to the right and up the steps, then down the walkway to the room at the far end.

“Adale-”

She barged through the classroom door, cutting off the blonde adult calling attendance. The moment every eye in the room focused on her, she went rigid. The teacher gave her a quick once over before checking the clipboard in his hand and then scanning the classroom.

“Oh, you must be number fourteen.” He scribbled something with his pen, then pointed it at an empty seat. “There’s an open seat up front for you right there.”

Flushed red and unable to get anything besides a meek “merci” out, she scurried over to her seat. The teacher continued calling out names, and those who didn’t call present gossiped and snickered. Sitting herself down, she kept her head low and hood up, concealing her burning face.

So far, so terrible. She’d been late, interrupted attendance, and gotten a front row seat, meaning there was no way she was going to go unnoticed now-

“Pst.” Someone nudged her left arm. “Hey.”

Lifting her head up and glancing past her hood, she looked at the girl next to her. She was a tall, modestly dressed teen, with black hair and blue eyes. One of her hands was held out, offered along with a bright smile.

“Bonjour,” she whispered, “I’m Amicia.”

She stared at her hand, then at the girl. Caught off-guard, she stared before shifting her attention away awkwardly. 

“Kamala.” She crossed her arms and propped them on the desk.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the girl’s offered hand wilt and her friendly expression turn into one of disappointment.

“Kamala Lavillant-Couffaine?”

Kamala sat up straight. Her neighbor coughed. The class gave mixed reactions of gasps or quiet looks. A second passed as the teacher looked around.

She could hear other kids whispering to each other. Sharing opinions and remarks. The girl next to her elbowed her again and she shot her a glare.

Her neighbor gave her a surprised look. Then gestured at their teacher with a nod. He was about to scribble on his clipboard.

Kamala swallowed. “Um, present!”

She felt her classmates’ eyes burning holes in the back of her head. Suddenly, it felt hotter. Stuffier. She was suffocating in her hoodie but taking it off would make her feel even more exposed.

“So, you’re Rose and Juleka’s?” He looked up from his clipboard and frowned. “Could you take off your hood please? The school doesn’t allow anything covering your head on in class.”

Before she could argue, he was already moving onto the next student. Her head sank between her shoulders as her classmates gossiped in the background. Without much choice, she drew back her hood and let it fall.

Her brunette hair fell out and the classroom’s cool air hit her head. She felt naked. Vulnerable. The girl next to her, Amicia, kept popping up out of the corner of her eye, stealing looks and sharing whispers with their classmates behind them.

“Amicia Lécuyer?”

Her desk partner raised her hand. “Here!”

The teacher gave her a smile and a nod, then scribbled on his clipboard. He moved onto someone else, leaving Kamala to try and ignore the other girl. However, it wasn’t long before the other teen was elbowing her again.

“So…” she said quietly, eyes darting between her and the teacher, “your parents are rock stars, right?”

She frowned and turned her head away again. “Yeah.”

“Awesome.”

“Mmhm.”

She crossed her arms and held them over her chest. Amicia seemed to get the clue and pulled back to her side of the desk. They sat together awkwardly while attendance finished up.

“Alright, class.” Their teacher stepped back and leaned against his desk. “So… welcome to troisième.”

Excited chattering filled the classroom as old friends shared cheers and new kids, like her, shifted anxiously beneath the celebrations.

“Anyways, I should probably introduce myself.” Their teacher set down his clipboard and took off his glasses. “My name is Adrien Agreste, and I’ll be your homeroom teacher for the year.”

* * *

Walking out of school felt a whole lot better than walking in. With the day over, she was free to finally escape that hell, where everyone wanted to know her and everyone wanted a piece of her, all for the sake of knowing her parents.

Adjusting the straps of her backpack, Kamala hopped down the school’s front steps. At the curb, a silver SUV was parked, its driver and passenger both waving at her.

“Kamala!” her maman called, arm sticking out the window. “Over here!”

Her mom wiped a hand over her face. “She can see us, Rose.”

Kamala stared at them, red-faced, and sighed before making the rest of the trip to the car. Other teens pouring out of Françoise Dupont looked on in shock and awe. A few of them were whispering while others rummaged in their bags for something to get signed.

Quickening her pace, she scurried to her parents’ car and climbed into the back.

“So, how was school?” Her maman looked over her seat, big blue eyes sparkling with wonder. “Did you have a lot of fun?”

She looked at her, arms crossed and face burning. “It was alright.”

Someone knocked on the window and Kamala’s eye twitched. If it was actually one of her classmates, she was going to ask to get home-schooled again-

“Mon dieu, Adrien!”

Kamala jumped at her maman’s squeal. She had to dig a finger into her ear to try and suppress the ringing in her ear. Looking up, she found her mom giggling and her maman hastily clambering out of the car to hug her teacher.

Unable to process everything at once, she just sat there and stared. Meanwhile, her mom stepped out to join her maman outside, and they both embraced M. Agreste.

“It’s great to see you guys again,” he said, stepping back. “When I saw your daughter’s name on my roster, I thought I might check and see if you were picking her up.”

“Were you expecting us to send a limo?” Her mom laughed and M. Agreste shared it timidly. “Sorry, I know that’s kind of a sore spot for you.”

He shrugged. “It’s alright. I mean, I drive myself everywhere now. Sometimes, I take Gorilla with me too.”

“How the turns table.”

He laughed. “Right?”

They shared the laughter again, this time with more fervor. Beside them, her maman bounced on her heels, waiting to speak up. When their laughter died down, M. Agreste turned to her.

“So, you’re going to be teaching our daughter?”

He shrugged. “Technically, I’m just her homeroom teacher, but I’m also teaching science. Well, general sciences.”

The trio of adults continued chatting for a while, catching up and swapping stories, as well as jokes and laughter. Around them, teens and adults alike looked on at the gathered celebrities, which only prompted Kamala to sink lower in her seat, hoping people wouldn’t see her.

She only looked around a few times, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone. Most of the school had cleared out, but a chunk of the population had gathered in the front courtyard. Some were taking pictures of her parents and M. Agreste, others were just talking to each other. She noticed a few of her classmates walking around, most just leaving while a few stayed.

Nearby, in the park across the street, she spied her desk partner, that tall girl named Amicia. She had a whole clique with her, laughing with them and stealing glances in her direction, or rather, her parents’ direction. She narrowed her eyes and sat back in her seat, giving a huff of frustration.

“Hey, you know what!” M. Agreste snapped his fingers and she looked out the window at the adults. “I’m having a get-together with Alya and Nino tonight. I know they invited Ivan, Mylène, and Nathaniel. Alix might even show up too.”

Her maman clasped her hands and gasped. “That sounds amazing! We can have a class reunion!”

“I think Kim and Ondine are also off tonight,” her mom said. “We can give them a call and see if they want to show up.”

Her maman dug out her phone from her purse as they considered their old classmates, a few being family friends.

“I wonder if Max is free too. I’ll text him.” Her maman looked up from her phone. “Who else do you want to invite?”

M. Agreste rubbed his chin, then smiled. “You know what, just invite everyone.”


	2. Miracu-class Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fifteen years after collège, the miracu-class reunites at Agreste Mansion. They've all grown up, but not everyone's moved on. Some of them found their happy endings, others are still trapped in the past. But as the adults catch up and revel in the good 'ole times, Kamala makes a discovery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello.  
Welcome back and sorry about the late update.  
I'm prioritizing publishing chapters on Tumblr first, with AO3 updates coming a little after. I got caught up in my college courses, however, so this got pushed back some.  
Anyways, hope you guys enjoy the chapter.

“Take a right here.”

“I know, Rose.”

Kamala glanced between her parents from the backseat of their car. They were on their way to Agreste Mansion, taking the quickest route there, according to their GPS.

“Oh, I can’t wait to see everyone again!”

Her maman was a glowing ball of energy, bouncing in her seat and beaming into the visor mirror as she applied her makeup. Meanwhile, her mom was a lot laxer, but she wore a small smile as she watched the road.

“It’ll be nice being together again.” Her mom reached a hand over and took her maman’s. “Just like old times.”

They went silent after that, so she turned her attention outside at the passing Parisian nightlife. Pedestrians strolled about beneath street lamps, moving from destination to destination. A majority gathered outside restaurants, others headed to a movie theater here or a convenience store there. She spied a few entering their homes from a late night out.

Soon, though, the stores and homes were replaced by a flat wall of mute stone.

“Alright, we’re here.”

She looked out the window at the wall beside them. There were no windows or homely features, just stone. Getting out of the car, she was even more confused as she looked down either way of the wall. While the right end turned at a corner, the left dropped off at a gate where a dark-skinned, fiery redheaded woman stood, tapping her foot and scrolling through her phone.

“Alya!”

Kamala looked up at her maman, then back at the woman. She’d perked up and turned her attention towards them. A smile grew on her face as she started over, stowing her phone away.

“Rose? Juleka?” She gave a laugh and threw out her arms wide. Both her parents practically skipped into her embrace, reciprocating with a tight hug. “Mon dieu, it’s been too long, girls!“

"Way too long,” her mom said. “Where have you been?”

The woman, Alya, shrugged. “Here and there. Went over to America for some internships after lyceé, got a job in the UK for about a year, then I came back home to do some work here.” She rubbed her chin, but then snapped her fingers. “Oh, and I visited Achu last month to write a piece on King Ali’s reformation of the economy there. Speaking of which….”

Her eyes turned on her and Kamala froze like a deer in headlights.

“So, you must be Kamala.” She held out a hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

She hesitantly shook the hand. “Um… yeah.”

Her grip was a little weak while the adult’s was strong, but that didn’t seem to ruin Alya’s fun. Her smile only grew and she glanced at her parents. “She’s cute.”

She flushed red and let go of her hand while her parents giggled.

Alya put her hands on her hips as she turned her attention back to them. "I didn’t even know you could adopt out of country.”

“Well. when you’re friends with King Ali….” Her mom gave a smirk and her maman slapped her arm.

“Juleka!”

“What? He technically helped.”

“But we filled out the paperwork legally!”

Kamala bounced her eyes between her parents, unsure of whether or not she should feel flattered or offended that they were talking about her right in front of her.

Thankfully, a loud buzz and the sound of metal bars clanging drew their attention back to the front gates.

“Sounds like it’s time to party.” Alya adjusted her purse strap and waved for them to follow. “Come on, girls. Let’s party.”

* * *

For an impromptu get-together, M. Agreste’s class reunion looked and felt like more of a party.

The first thing she saw upon entering Agreste Mansion were a number of colorful streamers reaching out from a giant, crystal chandelier hanging from a vaulted ceiling. While its light sparkled and illuminating the foyer, it also lit up its bright extremities and brought life to an otherwise starkly white room. A mixture of foldable and ornate, wooden tables were also set up around the place, all of them covered in patterned cloth. Each one hosted different platters or bowls of store-bought foods or homemade cuisine.

What really gave the foyer life, though, was the number of people mingling about. She spied a tall, built Asian man holding up his arms for two teenagers to hang off of. Next to him, an equally tall and built, redheaded woman laughed while cradling a baby. 

Close to them, a ginger-haired woman strode up to chat with Alya. They hugged and laughed, then walked over to a table to grab drinks. At the same time, her parents walked up to two men, one with bright, scarlet hair and the other with regular, black hair.

They chatted animatedly, leaving her to balance on her heels awkwardly before wandering over to a nearby table to grab a bite. A silver platter was set out, offering a pile of macarons. She glanced around briefly before reaching for one.

“Watch out!”

“Incoming!”

She squeaked as two bodies squished her in between them. The pile of macarons was utterly leveled by a pair of hands, leaving only a single one left. She picked it up and gave it a sad glance before watching the pile’s destroyers run over to the Asian man.

“I got your dessert, dad!”

“No, I got your dessert!”

Both teens, a boy and a girl, shoved and growled at each other. The boy barked once, which prompted their dad to step in between them.

“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Jacque! Jacqueline! Calm it down you two!” He held up his hands. “Make nice or I’m taking your PlayStation!”

Immediately, the teens froze, looked each other in the eye, then slumped their shoulders.

“Sorry, dad.”

She watched their dad stand up tall with hands on his hips and then give a laugh. He patted them both on the shoulder before taking a macaron from them each.

“That’s alright, guys, but keep it cool. You guys make everything a competition, then one of these days you’re going to get hurt.” He looked over at her and she froze. “Or get someone else hurt, like her.”

Both teens turned to look at her. She flushed red and tried to turn around, but she already heard their dad saying, “go apologize to her.”

She turned around to find them behind her. They looked similar, from appearances to their posture. The only real difference was the boy had a short quiff and the girl had a bob cut. Both of them shifted awkwardly, rubbing the back of their necks and wringing the bottom of their shirts.

“Uh, sorry about running into you,” the boy, Jacque, apologized.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” the girl, Jacqueline, said too.

She glanced between them and tried to form words. They ended up thinning out in her throat and she had to clear it before speaking again. “It’s alright… no problem.”

They both grinned and ran back to their dad, excited to be over with the task. She watched them hop and bounce around before turning back to grabbing a macaron.

“Hey, I see you met the twins!”

M. Agreste walked up next to her right as she grabbed the last macaron. She grit her teeth and swallowed the slight buildup of frustration in her.

“Yeah.” She gave a half-hearted smile and made to scurry away when the Asian man strolled over with his kids hanging off him. Literally. Again.

“Hey! Hey! Hey! If it isn’t our handsome host!” He grinned and lowered his arms, setting the teens down. “And you must be… uh… someone….”

She looked at him, then glanced at the little opening between him and M. Agreste.

“I’m nobody,” she chirped anxiously. “I’m just gonna… go.”

“Don’t we sit behind you?”

She stopped and looked at Jacqueline. The girl was watching her with squinted eyes. Glancing at Jacque, she found him doing the same.

“Yeah, she sits right in front of you guys with Mlle. Lécuye.” M. Agreste lifted a wine glass and smiled, then turned to the Asian man. “Oh, and this is Kamala, she’s Rose and Juleka’s daughter.”

She suppressed the urge to scowl at her homeroom teacher.

“No way!” Suddenly, he was leaning in front of her, checking her out. “You’re the munchkin they picked up from- Ow!”

He was cut off by the redheaded woman with the baby elbowing his side. He rubbed the sure spot and looked back at her. “Uh, I mean, adopted from Achu.”

“Are you bullying our little girl?”

Suddenly, her parents were with them, stepping over to meet the other couple.

“Bonsoir, Kim.” Her mom waved. “Bonsoir, Ondine.”

“Bonsoir, you two.” The redheaded woman, Ondine, beamed and cradled her child. “Ariel says bonsoir too.”

Her maman cooed while her mom snorted. While they chatted, she took the opportunity to sneak back around to hide behind her parents.

“So, you’re a coach now?” Her mom tilted her head while the man, Kim, nodded.

“Yeah, took some classes in uni for sports management. But, I mean, that’s nothing compared to Mdm. Fifteen-Olympic-Gold-Medals right here!”

Ondine visibly blushed and elbowed him playfully. “Kim….”

He kissed her on the temple while her parents giggled and M. Agreste chuckled. Meanwhile, “the twins”, were glancing between their parents, their faces a mixture of disgust and boredom. She, herself, looked at them all before slipping back and nudging her mom’s hand.

“I need to use the bathroom.”

Her mom arched an eyebrow, but shrugged. “Hey, Adrien, where’s your bathroom at?”

“Uh, head into the dining room, take the door on the left, and then it’s the door on the right in the hall.”

She blinked and looked at him. Then, at her mom. After processing the directions, she sighed and marched away from the crowd.

* * *

“Come on, seriously?” Kim leaned back in his chair. “There’s no way.”

A wave of laughs rolled over the gathered friends while Adrien Agreste rubbed the back of his neck. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

They sat in the foyer, having pulled out sofas, benches, and chairs. Their congregation was shaped in a loose circle at the foot of the stairs, right beneath the chandelier so they could all share in the spotlight.

“No, he’s right, Sunshine Boy.” Alya drank. “You’ve had tons of women, and even some guys, hanging off your shoulders. When are you going to find someone to settle down with? Or just run away? I don’t know what your retirement plan is.”

He looked at her, then at the ground. “I, uh… I don’t know what to tell you guys.” He laughed and shook his head. “I’m just not interested. You know?”

Everyone groaned and rolled their eyes as the front door shut. The hulking form of the Gorilla passed by them and Adrien gave him an appreciative nod. The Agreste family butler and bodyguard nodded back, then went to stand by a table offering an assortment of desserts.

“Hey. Hey. Hey, party people! Guess who!”

Eyes turned to the three newcomers lead by a dark-skinned man dressed in casual, yet neat attire. If it wasn’t his clothing that tipped them off, it was his red hat.

“Nino! Ivan! Mylène!” they cheered, raising their glasses.

The massive figure of Ivan came striding forth with his wife beside him, their hands clasped. Mylène gave a wave while Ivan smiled and opened his arms. Rose squealed and jumped into them while Juleka stood up to meet them.

“‘Sup, gang!” Nino laughed and high-fived Kim, bumped fists with Juleka, then froze when he came face-to-face with Alya. “Um… h-hey, Alya.”

She wore an unimpressed expression and stared at him with narrowed eyes. “M. Lahiffe.”

Everyone glanced between them, Rose coughing into her fist. Adrien walked over and patted his best-friend on the shoulder before moving him into a seat they’d brought out.

“Hey, man, you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah….” Nino swallowed and looked down while Alya glared. “I’m cool. I’m cool….”

Adrien nodded, then glanced at Alya, who turned her gaze away. "So, anyone heard from Lila?"

Silence overcame the party. The music played in the background, but it was little more than white noise as people scratched their heads, chins, and backs. Most of them shrugged while Adrien played with the toothpick in his drink, watching the liquid swirl.

"I texted her earlier?" Rose dug her phone out. "She says... she's busy. She probably won't show, but if she can come she'll text."

Alya hummed, then turned her gaze straight across their gathering to the ginger-haired woman sitting next to Ondine, “So, Sabrina, how’s life been?”

Sabrina perked up and met the eyes watching her. She flushed red and crossed her legs. “I’ve been fine.”

“You got your master’s in business management, didn’t you?”

“Yeah.” Sabrina sipped from her wine glass. “Still not worth it.”

Everyone laughed and shared in the revelry, immersing themselves in the warm embrace of nostalgia and fond memories of good times. Then, the closet burst open.

“Can you get off me?”

Out of the closet came a flash of radiant light, followed by a dark-skinned man who rubbed the back of his neck while a pink-haired woman stepped out.

“Sorry, miscalculated the destination.” Max straightened his dress shirt and slacks.

“Yeah, you think?” Alix stretched and tugged at her yoga pants, then looked over at their classmates. “Hey, at least you got us in the right building. What’s up, losers!”

A cheer rang out from the rest of their class, who lifted their drinks up and stood to greet them. Kim was the first to walk over, grabbing his best-friends in a bear hug.

“It’s the crew!” he laughed.

“Kim, get your beefy logs off me!”

“Kim, please let us down.”

Ondine giggled at her husband’s antics while Alya stepped past to smack his arm. At her glare, he let them go and stepped back so Alix and Max could breathe. While they did so, however, Alya set her hands on her hips. “So, mind telling us why you were in the closet?”

The duo exchanged looks, then Max pointed at his shirt pocket. Something squirmed in it, and that was all anyone needed to know.

“Uncle Max!”

Jacque and Jacqueline Lê Chiến came running over, practically hopping with excitement. Max, in turn, smiled and raised a hand. “Hey, Jacquie. Hi, Jacquie.”

Both twins made faces, but gave him a high-five nonetheless. Meanwhile, Kim and Ondine shared a laugh while Alix crossed her arms.

“What?“ She threw out her arms. “I don’t get anything?”

The twins shared another look and then ran over to tackle her. Alix gave a cry and hit the ground while Kim burst into cackling and Ondine was suddenly aware that their kids had tackled an adult.

“Kim!” She nudged him and her husband rubbed the back of his neck.

“Uh, you good, Alix?”

A thumb shot up from the dog pile. “Ninety-nine percent, yeah!"

Another roar of laughter filled the foyer, echoing and dredging up memories of their time in a classroom together. It was like the years hadn’t gone by, save for the fact that they were taller and a few of them had kids.

“Hey, Mylène,” Alix kicked up her feet onto Kim’s legs, to which he pushed them off, only for her to prop them back up. “What’s it like being a collège counselor and a mother?”

The shorter woman shrugged. "It doesn’t affect my work much. I can’t say the same for Adelene, though.”

Beside her, Ivan scratched his chin. “Yeah, we’re worried the fame might go to her head some day. I mean, she hasn’t pulled a Chloé yet, but she’s had moments where… well….”

“She’s been a little demanding?” Ondine glanced at her twins, both looked at her before scurrying away to a table on the other side of the foyer.

A wave of chuckles rolled over them.

“How’s Kamala, by the way?” Ivan looked over to Rose and Juleka. “I know she isn’t too fond of the whole ‘my parents are rock stars’ thing.”

Both women shrugged and Juleka gestured towards Adrien. “She’s been homeschooled up until now, so Adrien’s who you wanna ask.”

Eyes fell onto the blonde and he drank from his glass. “Well, I mean, it’s only been the first day. She was quiet and kind of isolated. I think she’ll start to open up, though.”

Kamala’s parents hummed and everyone fell into silence. That was, until Alix piped up. “So, anyone hear about that bank robbery last week?”

Everyone shared looks. Most of them smiled while she smirked. Adrien looked at them all and tilted his head. “Uh, yeah. Bunnyx stopped it, right?”

“Yeah, she sure did.” Alix leaned back into her chair and Kim pushed her feet off his legs again.

“Don’t forget she had some help.” Ondine interjected, smiling innocently when Alix shot a pointed look her way.

“Well, yeah, but Roi Singe pretty much missed all the action.”

“I don’t know….” Kim sat up. “He kind of saved yo- Bunnyx’s butt with the whole 'make the robber’s guns jam with his superpowers’, you know what I mean?”

The rivals never broke eye contact while everyone chuckled, giggled, or took videos of their first argument in years. All the while, Adrien looked out over his gathered friends and smiled. Everyone was here… well, almost everyone.

“Thinking about Mari?” Nino stepped up next to him, swirling a drink absentmindedly. “Me too, man… She would’ve loved this.”

He nodded. “Yeah… she would’ve….” His eyes turned to Alya. “So, are you sure you’re alright? I mean, after the divorce-”

“I’m fine. Seriously.” Nino set a hand on his shoulder. “You don’t gotta worry about me or Alya. Just… let us work out the kinks ourselves. Alright, dude?”

Adrien stared at him and nodded solemnly. Then, someone screamed.

* * *

Kamala stepped out of the bathroom, rubbing her hands dry on her clothes. She glanced around the dark hall and shivered ever-so-slightly. Why were bourgeoisie mansions always so creepy?

She looked at the door out and stepped towards it, but then stopped. There was a humming sound from the other door down the hall, muffled but audible. Turning back, she took in the dark threshold at the other hand of the hall, then glanced at the door behind her.

Hesitantly, she stepped over to press an ear against the door. The humming was louder, but then it stopped. There was an audible click, followed by the sound of murmuring. Was it the adults? Had they moved to another room?

“Probably shouldn’t intrude,” she muttered and stepped away.

Just as she did, someone shouted. She jumped, then froze. Fear petrified her long enough that the voice on the other side died down. Left terrified, but suddenly curious, she glanced at the doorknob before grabbing it.

Opening the door a crack, she peered through into a massive, sterile white room. The lights were dimmed and the curtains were drawn. There was a shadow on the floor, which she followed to a man in a wheelchair.

“I won. Do you hear me?”

She stared at an elderly man, his hair disheveled and body frail. He held a strange box in his hand while wheeling around.

“I won. Stop haunting me!”

He seemed to try and crush the box, but only succeeded in giving it a light squeeze. Immediately after, he let his arm fall and drew in labored breaths.

Kamala processed the sight, decided it was creepy as heck, then backed away. Unfortunately, the door creaked.

Cold blue eyes snapped to her and she froze in place again. Before she knew it, he was wheeling towards her, snarling and baring his teeth. She tried to backpedal, but he was already throwing the door open and grabbing her wrist.

“Who are you!” he demanded. “What are you doing here? Did she bring you here? Did she send use my miraculous?”

“Let go of me!” she screamed and tried to wrench her wrist free.

“Tell me-” The man grasped his chest and gasped.

She struggled harder and pulled away from him. She took a step back to run, but stopped when she saw him keel over and fall out of his wheelchair. Her eyes rounded and she stared in shock at the frail, trembling figure.

She didn’t know what to do. What could she do? He attacked her and was on the floor now. Should she call her parents?

She opted for the latter.

“Help!” She knelt down next to him, searching for something that’d help. “Help! Mom! Maman!”

Her eyes landed on the strange object, an octagonal box. She picked it up and looked it over. Before she could open it, though, a second pair of doors burst open and M. Agreste stepped in.

“Hello? Kamala?” He looked over and his eyes shot open wide. “Father!”

Suddenly, he was at his father’s side, across from her. He pressed two fingers to his wrist, then rolled him over.

“Kamala, get back.” He ordered, then pressed his hands on his father’s chest. “One. Two. One. Two.”

She stared, still trapped in shock. Hands grabbed her shoulders and pulled her away. When she came out of her stupor, she looked up at her maman who held her tight.

“Are you okay, sweetie?”

“He- He grabbed my wrist, I-… I didn’t- He just-….” Tears tumbled down her face, but her maman wiped them with her shirt.

“Did he hurt you?”

“N-No, but-”

“But?”

“He just grabbed my wrist and I panicked and pulled away and- and-”

“He’s still breathing!” M. Agreste snapped his head up. “Alya, call 112!”

“Already on it!”

“Gorilla! Get the car ready! Nino! Go upstairs and knock on the door right of my room!”

“Got it!”

Kamala stared at the scene playing out before her, unable to comprehend anything. Her mind was a mess, thoughts crashing and swirling like a chaotic storm. All she felt was dread in the pit of her stomach, a cold icy ball of pure anxiety forcing her to stay on her knees while her maman held her and her mom rubbed circles into her back.

* * *

“Is he going to be okay?”

Her parents shared looks and she glanced at their faces. Despite her maman being bubbly and her mom being chill, for once they shared the same expression of hesitance and concern.

“He should be.” Her mom twisted around to look at her. “But are you okay?”

“Y-Yeah….” She rubbed her wrist. “I’m okay….”

Her parents exchanged more looks.

“Your mom’s going to go to the hospital, Kamala,” her maman said, getting out of the car. “We’re going to stay here at home, alright?”

She nodded numbly and got out too. They waved her mom goodbye as she drove off to meet M. Agreste and the rest of the adults at the hospital. Her maman lead her inside, through the boutique and up the stairs in the back.

She mindlessly ambled past their furniture and to her room. She registered her maman lingering in the doorway, watching her sit down on her bed. A second passed before she joined her, kneeling in front of her.

“What happened, Kamala?”

She opened her mouth, then closed it. Fear kept her voice down, but a need to speak forced it up like water in a backed up pipe. “I got out of the bathroom and was going back to the party, but then I heard some weird sound and went to look and I found M. Agreste, but he was acting weird, yelling at this- this box! But when I tried to leave he heard me and I couldn’t move because- because I was so scared.” She rubbed her wrist harder. “He grabbed my wrist and yelled at me, but I screamed and struggled, then tried to run, but then he fell over and-….”

Her voice faded, but she’d gotten the story across. Her maman gave her a pitying look, then drew her into a hug.

“It’s alright, sweetie. You’re okay.”

She trembled and choked on a sob. She wanted to not do that, to be strong. Yet, her body betrayed her and she could only sit there, crying and shaking.

“I’ll talk with Adrien and we’ll try to clear this up. Whatever happened to M. Agreste, it wasn’t your fault. He’s had problems like this before.”

Her voice failed her, so she bobbed her head.

“How about you take a shower.” She picked up her wrist. “It’ll make you feel better.”

Before she knew it, she was in the bathroom. The water was running and steam was filling the air. She stared into the mirror, watching her reflection. Her red eyes burned and her cheeks were tear-stricken. She still quivered ever-so-slightly.

A wave of disgust hit her and she pulled at her clothes. Before she stripped anything off, though, she felt a bump in her jacket.

“What?”

She pulled out the octagonal box M. Agreste had held. Her eyes stared at it, a new wave of fear taking her. She was going to get in trouble for this. Whatever this was….

Curiosity overcame dread and she put a hand on the top of it. Maybe one peek wouldn’t hurt?

She opened it and the world went pink. A second later, she blinked and got up off the floor. The back of her head stung and she rubbed it tentatively. The box sat on the ground, opened and revealing two black earrings inside.

Picking it up, she examined them, then looked up at the mirror. A woman with bluebell eyes stared back.

“Hello?” The woman waved. “Hi, uh… I’m Marinette. Who are you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh, cliffhanger.  
So, yeah, tune in next time to see what happens next.  
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	3. The Hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kamala has a ghost in her head and her name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. While the duo argue, Kamala also butts heads with the popular girl at school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, I've been dealing with the end of an online class and working on ongoing classes.

Kamala awoke to bluebell eyes. Standing over her was a tall woman wreathed in steam. She snapped fingers in front of her, trying to wake her up.

“Hey, are you okay?” The ghost tilted her head. “You passed out on me.”

She stared at Marinette with wide, frightened eyes. Dread petrified her and kept her on the ground while the ghost looked her over.

“Wh-What are you?”

Marinette blinked, then looked at her translucent hands. “I'm… I don’t know.” She held them up to the bathroom lights and stared straight through them. “I think I’m dead. But, not dead… I can’t really explain it.”

She stood up then, and looked around the bathroom. Kamala watched her swivel and take in their environment before putting her hands on her hips.

“Not exactly the weirdest thing to happen to me, but it’s up there.” She ran a ghostly hand through raven-black locks. “So, is this your house… -er, what was your name again?”

It took her a moment to register the question. “K-Kamala.”

A warm smile graced her face and despite her pale complexion, she lit up with a kind of friendliness she’d rarely seen. She might even contest that she was brighter than her maman on her birthdays.

The ghost of Marinette extended a hand then, offering it to her. She stared at it for the longest time, frozen by fear but compelled by curiosity.

“Earth to Kamala.” Marinette waved at her. “Do you want some help or not?”

Kamala blinked, swallowed, and then reached up. Her hand clasped the specter’s and a chill ran across her skin she squeaked, but Marinette squeezed and pulled her onto her feet. She stumbled forward, then backwards before resting against the wall.

Her mind was racing and reeling. A thousand thoughts clashed and swirled in her head like a chaotic storm. Her brain was practically throbbing while her heart pounded against her chest as if it were a drum.

“What is going on?” She vented. “Wh-What are you doing here? How did you get in here? Am I going insane?” She slid down the wall and fell on her bottom again. Her hands clutched her head while she lightly rocked back and forth in an effort to console herself. “I’m actually going insane.”

“Whoa. Whoa. Easy there.” A cold hand touched her shoulder and suddenly Marinette was crouched over her. “You’re not insane. Trust me.”

“Trust the freaky ghost I’m seeing?”

Marinette raised a finger, then dropped it. “Okay, number one, a little insulting. Number two, I’m being serious. You’re not insane, you’re just talking to a ghost… I guess….”

They stared at each other for a long time. Then, Kamala breathed in.

“S-So… what’s going on?” She quivered in place. “Who- What are you?”

Marinette seemed to gargle some words around before swallowing them all down. Then, she lifted her hands to look through them.

“Well, for starters, my name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and I’m supposed to be a normal girl with a normal life.” She stood up and looked herself over. “But as you can tell, that’s not what’s going on at all.”

Kamala nodded, but before she could answer, someone knocked on the door. She jumped and squeaked while Marinette twisted around.

“Kamala?” Her maman knocked again. “Are you okay in there?” The doorknob jiggled and turned, then she stepped in. “It’s been thirty minutes-”

She paused and Marinette stood stiff. Yet, her eyes never drifted to the specter standing in the steam. Instead, she looked past her and frowned.

“Did you even get in the shower?”

“I, uh-….” She glanced from Marinette to her maman. “N-No… I got distracted. Sorry….”

Her maman breathed in, then sighed. “That’s alright. But if you’re going to take a shower, do it now. We can’t waste the hot water like that.”

She gave a fleeting smile and left, closing the door again. Kamala stared after her, then turned her eyes to Marinette. She seemed perplexed, eyes rounded and gaze at a thousand yards away.

“Rose?” she breathed, then wiped a hand over her mouth.

Marinette leaned back against the counter supporting herself against it while a sudden weight appeared to wash over her.

“She looked so- so-…. how old was she? How old am I?” She looked down at herself, then at her. “Wait… who are you again? Is Rose your-”

“Mom,” she said, quickly and curtly. “She’s my mom.”

Marinette looked away, rubbing her jaw. Then, she looked back. “And Juleka?”

“Also my mom….”

Marinette nodded, then stepped away. She paced the short length of the bathroom, then looked back at her again. “How long have I been gone?”

* * *

The following day was in stark contrast to the bright and beautiful morning that had come before. Gray, lifeless clouds hung in the sky, hiding an indifferent sun. What blue sky was shown was pale and dark. The smell of rain was on the breeze as the Lavillant-Couffaine’s pulled up to Françoise Dupont.

Kamala glanced between her parents as they hissed at each other. They were trying to act subtle, but she could hear snippets of their argument.

“Ask her if she’s going to be okay!”

“You do it!”

“I always do it!”

“Because you’re great at it!”

“Thank you, Jules, but she needs both of us!” Her maman waved a finger between them, then glanced back at her. Their eyes met and she darted her gaze back to her mom. “Do it or you’re the little spoon tonight.”

Her mom choked, then swallowed. Meanwhile, Marinette sat inconspicuously in the seat next to her. She watched her parents with a sad, amused smile. Something between fondness and guilt played across her face.

“They’re a lot more intimate than I last remember.”

She gagged and glanced at her. “They’re married and my parents.”

Marinette shrugged as her mom twisted around to face her. She brushed a lock of black and purple-dyed hair out of her face, then offered a smile. She shifted uncomfortably under her mom’s eyes and her mom immediately frown.

Her maman elbowed her and her mom swallowed. “So… kiddo… how’s it going? You feeling better today?”

She stared at her lap, crossing and uncrossing her legs. “Better… Wh-What do I say to M. Agreste?”

He was her homeroom teacher, and she’d almost killed his father the night before. Both her parents were visibly tense and they seemed to share some silent conversation with their eyes.

“You don’t need to worry.” Marinette crossed her arms. “Adrien is non-confrontational. If he can avoid conflict, he will.”

Kamala blinked, then glanced at her parents. They were enthralled in their quiet debate, so she lowered her voice and leaned over to the ghost in her head.

“You know M. Agreste?”

She hummed. “Mmhm… we were friends.” She looked out the window, to the world beyond. “But that was a long time ago… I don’t know everything that’s changed, but… Adrien likes to keep the peace. He’ll do anything he can to do that.” A small, reassuring smile crossed her face as she looked back at her. “Trust me.”

Kamala stared at her, and then she gave a slow nod.

Up in the front, her parents were still squabbling. Without much else to do, she checked her phone and grimaced at the time. School was starting in thirty minutes.

Quietly, she scooted over to the door and grabbed the handle. Opening it drew her parents’ attention, but she was already hopping out before they could open their mouths.

“I’ll be okay.” She adjusted her backpack straps and looked her maman in the eye. “I promise.”

It was half-true, but also half-false. She felt better, but there was that whisper in the back of her head. The small, paranoid voice telling her that the world was ending and she’d be the one responsible. Yet, she mentally told that voice to shove it and attempted to stand her ground beneath her parents’ scrutinizing gaze.

Her maman’s eyes had become bigger and bluer, tears welling up in them from the storm of emotions playing out across her face. Her mom was a lot more controlled in her expression, wearing only a small, concerned frown matched with a hesitant look.

“Are you sure?” Her maman pulled herself out of the window, but then her mom reached over and squeezed her arm. They shared a look before her maman climbed back inside. “If you need to come pick you up early, don’t be afraid to call. Okay?”

She nodded and her maman sucked in her bottom lip. Her mom squeezed her shoulder and her parents shared another look before sitting back in their seats.

“We’ll see you later, alright, Kamala?” Her mom smiled. “We love you.”

A warmth blossomed in her chest and her cheeks. “I love you guys too.”

She timidly waved after them as they pulled away from the curb, driving down the street and around the corner. A minute later, she stayed planted on the sidewalk, staring after them. A soft breeze blew past her and she shivered. Moisture was still in the air, now present with a cold bite.

Rubbing her arms, she turned around and faced Françoise Dupont. If it seemed possible, the school was bigger and more imposing than before.

Beside her, Marinette hummed.

“Gah!” She jumped back and stumbled a bit. “Stop doing that!”

“Oh, sorry.” Marinette scratched the back of her head as she strode up to the school. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“You didn’t mean to scare me this morning either, but I still almost had a heart attack!” Her arms waved in the air while her voice cracked.

Marinette put a fist to her mouth and coughed to stifle a laugh. “Sorry, sorry. I said I was sorry.” She cleared her throat and recomposed herself, then turned back to the school. “It’s just… I wasn’t expecting to come back here… back to the beginning….”

Kamala blinked, then tilted her head. “What?”

Marinette looked down, then back up. She jammed her hands in her pockets and shook her head. “It’s nothing. Hey, aren’t you late for class?”

She looked at her, then pulled out her phone. Panic set in about a solid second after she looked at the time. Instantly, her fight or flight instincts clocked into overdrive and she hoofed it to class.

* * *

“Alright, class,” an orange and white haired woman spoke, sitting behind the desk in M

Agreste’s classroom. “My name is Mdm. Bustier. M. Agreste had to step out for today for a family emergency, so I’ll be subbing in for him.”

Kamala shifted anxiously in her seat. She tried not to make eye contact with anyone, keeping her head down and gaze pointed at the tablet the school provided them.

Around her, the entire class was whispering. She could hear every conversation, their hushed gossiping carrying across the room even as Mdm. Bustier called out instructions for their lesson today. She tapped the stylus to her tablet nervously.

“Hey, are you okay?”

She glanced over at her desk partner. Amicia looked back, an eyebrow arched and her head tilted. She felt her eyes on her, scrutinizing her hunched over form.

Her walls came up immediately and she scowled. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Without another word, she turned away and ignored her. There was a scoff from her desk partner and a frustrated grumble, but she didn’t push the subject. They sat like that for the rest of the period, minding their own business on their respective sides of their table.

When the bell rang and class ended, she managed to slip out without a word or glance. Half the reason was to not be noticed, the other half was to get to the cafeteria first. She wanted food and a place to sit without being approached. Maybe she could talk to Marinette some more.

Kamala blinked and stared at her tray. Was she actually thinking about talking to the ghost in her head? As in, having a normal conversation? With a ghost? Who was living in her head?

She looked up and around at the cafeteria. Other teens were grouped up in clusters around round tables. A majority sat around the edges, a few found tables in the middle. There didn’t seem to be a lone seat around her….

A teen walked past her and out the cafeteria door. She stared for a moment, then started towards the exit. Maybe she could eat outside? That’d be a relief. Hopefully, she’d find a nice spot alone-

“Hey, Kammie.”

A blonde stepped in front of her, hands on her hips. She was short and squat, a whole head shorter than her, but there was an obvious degree of maturity to her attire. Designer jacket, pants, shoes, etc. No teen had that level of self-aware stylization other than one Adelene Bruel, daughter of her parents’ bandmates.

“What do you want, Adelene?” she narrowed her eyes and stared at her lazily.

Adalene scoffed and crossed her arms. “I was wondering where you were going, obviously.”

Kamala rolled her eyes. “I was going outside, you know? To eat.”

“Why eat out there when you can come eat at my table.” Adelene wore a smile and leaned in towards her. She took a step back, then glanced over her shoulder to their audience, presumably Adelene’s table.

The Lê Chiến twins sat with a couple other teens. Their eyes turned to her, expectancy and excitement in them. At the head of their table, Amicia Lécuyer munched on a chicken nugget. Their eyes met and the atmosphere grew tense.

“I’d rather eat alone.” She tried moving around Adelene, but the shorter girl sidestepped into her way.

“Uh, that sounds like something a loser would do.” She made a shooing gesture at her. “Come on, Kammie. Join us. Have some fun. Make some friends. You’re desk partners with Amicia, right?”

“Unfortunately.”

She bit her tongue. That wasn’t supposed to come out.

Adelene stared at her, eyes wide and round. Her table went quiet. The rest of the cafeteria still chatted and bustled, teens going to and from.

Kamala looked around, swallowed the lump in her throat, and then moved around the other girl.

“Look, I just want to eat alone-”

“Who do you think you are?” A finger jabbed itself into her chest. She backpedaled as Adelene advanced on her. “If you haven’t noticed, you’re the new kid. I’m trying to be friendly!” Her face was getting redder, anger pooling into fire under her features. Adelene bared her teeth as she backed her up against her table. “Your parents might be the big power couple in the band, but that doesn’t mean you get to-”

“Hey!” Suddenly, hands were on Adelene’s shoulders and Amicia was giving her a light push back. “Adelene, calm down. Kamala’s not trying to be rude.” She snapped her gaze over her shoulder and locked eyes with her. “Right?”

She shook her head and fixed her composure. Meanwhile, the cafeteria came back to life, the momentary lull in gossip starting back up with renewed fervor. People were watching them, talking about them. A few fingers pointed their way and Kamala’s head sank between her shoulders.

Amicia spoke to Adelene, trying to calm her down. While both of them were distracted, she tried to scurry around and out of the room. Unfortunately, she didn’t get two steps away before she felt vigilant eyes falling on her. “Kamala.”

She turned and looked at her desk partner, whose arms were crossed and face scrunched in angry justice.

“Uh, yeah?” She asked flippantly, trying to act casual.

Amicia only narrowed her eyes, but didn’t snap at her. Instead, she nudged Adelene’s arm. The blonde rolled her eyes and sighed. “Sorry, Kammie. I didn’t mean to blow up on you.”

Amicia nudged her again.

“Ugh, I just wanted you to sit with us.” Adelene glared at her friend, who held her crossed arms and turned her gaze back to her.

She looked back, not breaking eye contact with the other teen. After a moment, she chose her words. “Yeah, whatever.”

She turned and left, but right as she reached the cafeteria doors a hand grabbed her arm. She jerked and twisted around, facing Amicia.

“What is your problem!” The taller girl threw out her arms. “You can’t even take an apology without acting like we’re insulting you!”

Her nerves were climbing up her throat, but she fought them down. She kept her eyes locked with the other girl, refusing to back down.

“I’m sorry,” she said, sarcasm dropping off her voice, “I thought I had a right to feel how I wanted.”

Amicia blinked, then scoffed and shook her head in disbelief. She crossed her arms, then turned around and threw them in the air. Spinning back around, she bore her glare back into her own, two forces clashing in a power struggle.

“Wow.” She crossed her arms again. “Just. Wow. All we’ve done is try to be nice to you. Can’t you at least do the same thing?”

The words spilled out of her mouth before she could stop herself. “Well, excuse me! Can’t you mind your own business?”

“Not when you’re trying to provoke everyone for every little thing!” Amicia bit her cheek and looked away. She wiped a hand over her mouth, then sighed. “Look, I don’t want to cause drama, or something, but-….” She ran a hand through her hair. “Just- Can you at least not get pissed off at me for saying ‘good morning’?”

She sucked in a breath and gripped her food tray tightly. It felt like she might snap it in half at any second. Amicia stood tall over her, standing her ground with resolute ferocity.

She opposed her, the wall to her advance. She wasn’t going to roll over. She wasn’t going to just let this go. She wasn’t going to let her dictate how she could act.

“How about you stop bothering me?”

The cafeteria went silent. Everyone stared. A pin could drop and burst her ear drums. After an agonizing eternity, though, Amicia shifted her weight and put a hand on her hip.

“Wow.” She glared. Hard. “Guess your parents aren’t so great after all.”

She blinked as Amicia turned and walked away. She didn’t see red next, just a collage of white and brown as she dumped her tray on the other girl’s back.

* * *

Muffled sobs and comforting words drifted out of the principal’s office. Under the door, shadows moved and clumped together. She could almost see her mom hugging her maman while she held on for dear life.

Kamala sat with her arms crossed and butt sticking off the edge of the plastic chair they’d planted outside the principal’s office. On the opposite side of the door, Amicia sat straighter with her eyes glowering ahead. She’d gotten an old uniform shirt and had the opportunity to wash up in the restroom. Yet, she could see some crust in her hair.

Blue eyes flicked over at her. She looked away immediately. Neither of them spoke a word. Words were too good for either of them. As far as she was concerned, Amicia could stuff a sock down her-

The office door opened and her maman came stumbling out, supported by her mom. The principal, an older woman with graying, purple hair aimed a pointed gaze at her. She shrunk under her critical eye.

“Mlle. Kamala,” she drawled, “I’ll be sure to have my wife note your actions today.” She turned to Amicia. “As for you, Mlle. Amicia, it’s not acceptable to get in other students’ face, no matter how rude they are.”

“But-”

“But nothing!” Principal Mendeleiev snapped. “Now run along or wait for your ride. You have two hours before Caline and I head home.”

The principal disappeared back into her office, slamming the door shut. She and Amicia stared at the door, stunned. Next to them, her maman sniffled and her mom rubbed circles into her back.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spied Amicia glancing over at them. She wore regret and guilt on her face. Their eyes met briefly and their expressions hardened.

She stuck out her tongue and Amicia bared grit teeth.

“Kamala.”

She froze and looked up. Her mom stared down at her, eyes narrowed in clear disapproval.

“It’s time to go home,” she said, voice lacking warmth.

She bowed her head and sat up, then hopped off her seat. Straightening out her attire, she stole a glance at her rival. Amicia wasn’t looking, her eyes were glued to her phone.

It was obvious she was texting someone, what with her furious typing. Yet, it looked like whomever she was trying to contact wasn’t answering.

Kamala snorted. Amicia looked up. Brown eyes met blue ones and the former smirked. “At least my parents are great enough to care.”

She didn’t miss a beat, twisting about on one foot and following her parents out. Behind her, she heard Amicia’s sneakers squeak as she emitted a low growl.

Outside, the world was bleak. Dark clouds roiled and churned, but rainfall had yet to start. There was a tension in the air, something she couldn’t put her finger on.

Looking at her parents, she put a finger on it. Her maman blew into a tissue while her mom circled around to the other side of their car. Their eyes met and her mom leveled a disappointed look at her.

It was one of those narrow-eyed, critical looks that spoke volumes about their disappointment. About how they’d hoped and dreamed, but had it all taken away. About how they’d wished for something great, but received something so terrible that they only had a want for retribution left in them.

“That was terrible.”

Kamala jumped and put a hand over her heart. Marinette stood beside her, a hand on her hip. She looked from her to her mom, who’d climbed in already. 

“Stop doing that!” She hissed and climbed inside.

“She was only trying to make amends.” Marinette squatted down beside the window and poked her spectral head through the glass. “Was that so wrong?”

Kamala didn’t dare a glance at her. She kept her eyes ahead, watching the rain begin to fall.

* * *

“That stupid, selfish, ignorant brat!”

Amicia tucked her knees to her chest and buried her face into her arms. She trembled with every choking sob. Her frustrations burned in her mind, fueled by hate and anger. One hand wrapped around a dangling necklace and gripped the pendant on it tight.

Amidst the turmoil in her head, she didn’t notice the speck of purple out of the corner of her eye or hear the soft flutter of butterfly wings. She only realized she wasn’t alone when she felt fingertips pressing on the surface of her mine.

“Hello, Nemesis, o’ champion mine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gonna try and update faster for the next chapter.  
But, uh, thanks for reading.  
I know Bustier x Mendeleiev isn't a popular ship, but I do find that opposites attract and they compliment each other in a strange kind of way.  
Marinette's circumstances will be elaborated on as the story progresses, but for now I'm laying the groundworks for the setting still.  
Follow me on Tumblr.


	4. Nemesis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kamala comes face-to-face with the consequences of her ignorance as the first akuma in fifteen years attacks Paris.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, sorry about the weeks long wait.  
I, uh, had a seizure, so... yeah, that was fun. Kinda felt like that Skyrim meme where it fades from black.  
But, anyways, new chapter! Hooray! Yeah....  
Uh, took a lot of care into writing this. Tried to make the action digestible and not a wall of words. If there's any spelling issues, grammar issues, or inconsistencies, let me know so I can make some fixes.

_You are Amicia Lécuyer. The star student. The beloved classmate. The born leader. And yet, the lonely daughter. You have always sought adoration but have only ever found veneration. Now one has come exuding only indifference, ignorance. While you would shoulder the weight of the world, she would just shrug it off._

_She has hurt you. Hurt her back._

_Arise, o' champion mine. Arise, Nemesis, judge, jury, and executioner._

"Yes, Hawkmoth."

* * *

Though the rain pounded on the hood of their car like the wrath of god, it was nothing to the disappointed looks her parents shot at her. From the driver's seat, her mom glanced through the rearview mirror to keep an eye on her, as if she were expecting her to suddenly jump out of the car and steal from a convenience store. From the passenger's seat, her maman blew into a tissue, peeked at her out of the corner of her eye, and then turned away just as fast, unable to even look at her.

Kamala shifted anxiously in her seat, rubbing her hands against the cushions.

"Why did you do it?" Marinette appeared in her peripheral, hunched over and head tilted. "That girl was trying to defend you, even after you insulted her."

She turned her head away and stared out the window.

"Kamala."

She straightened up and looked to the front. They were parked in traffic, which let her mom turn around and look her in the eye.

"You're grounded." There wasn't a hint of remorse on her face. "No TV, no phone, and no computer for two months."

"But-"

"But what?" Her mom's stone face melted into melancholy. "You attacked another girl. What do you want us to do? Celebrate? Praise you?"

She looked down at the floor and crossed her arms. Her chest felt tight, like someone was squeezing her insides. Tears pricked at the edges of her vision.

"Juleka," her maman said, "don't be too harsh-"

"Too harsh?" The car jolted forward, then slowed to the flow of traffic. "Rose, you heard what Mdm. Mendeleiev... said…."

The pitter-patter of rain stopped briefly as a shadow passed overhead, darkening the car briefly. They slowed down and she looked up again, finding her parents uncomfortably quiet with their eyes glued to the windshield. There was something outside, a dark spot traveling across the asphalt.

"What the…." Her mom leaned over the dashboard, trying to look up. "No one should be out on patrol, right?" She glanced at her maman who shook her head.

Kamala looked between them, confused, then she glanced beside her. She hoped Marinette had some supernatural answer, but she was gone again. She cursed internally, then turned back to her parents.

They were whispering and hissing at each other, her maman having pulled out her phone and dialed a number. She bounced her eyes between them, then looked back outside when the shadow traveled back towards them.

Cold fingers crawled up her spine as it grew closer. But then, it stopped.

She arched an eyebrow. "What?"

A silver blur crashed into the street. The whole world shook, and she yelped while her parents cursed. Tiny pieces of debris bounced off their windshield, marring the wet surface with splotches of black and gray.

Her mom turned on the wipers and between each pass, they watched the rain suppress a small cloud of dust to reveal a kneeling figure wreathed in silver and gray.

A tall, lithe figure stood up, unfazed by the pouring rain. She was dressed in a gray toga and adorned in pieces of silver armor. A blindfold covered her eyes, yet she seemed to point her gaze right at them. But the strangest thing about her wasn't her lack of sight, it was the feathered wings protruding from her back, both pure white.

"Juleka?" Her maman breathed in shakily. "Juleka, is that…?"

Her mom didn't say a word, she just reached for the gear shift with a trembling hand. She missed the first time but grabbed it the second time.

"Kamala tighten your seat belt. Now." There was a seriousness to her tone that wasn't rooted in anger or shame. It was desperation. Fear.

Kamala glanced up at the approaching figure and watched her extend her wings, spreading them and raising them. It was a hauntingly beautiful sight, but her attention was quickly drawn to a glint of metal beside her as she unsheathed a sword.

"Hold onto something!" Her mom threw the gear shift into reverse and she stomped on the ignition. The steering wheel was a blur in her hands as she maneuvered around the car behind them. In a swift motion, she threw the gear shift back into drive and they shot down the street.

Kamala didn't realize she was screaming until after they were already away. Taking a breath, she darted her eyes around, trying to make sense of their situation. Her mom was driving furiously, weaving in and out of traffic. Her maman was shouting, almost hyperventilating.

"Juleka!"

"I know!"

"That was an akuma!"

"I know!"

"It was a what?" She looked at her maman, who fumbled with her phone as she dialed number after number. Then, she looked at her mom, who dared glances beyond what was ahead. She felt useless, and so turned around as best she could to stare out the rear window.

There was a shadow following them. Her heart raced and she looked up at the angelic creature above, her wings flapping and blade gleaming. And even though they were meters apart, she swore her blindfolded eyes burned ghostly blue through the fabric and bore a hole in her head.

"She's right behind us!" she screamed.

"Kamala, get down!"

Her mind was racing, and she barely had time to look back to ask why when her mom twisted the wheel. They swerved around a corner as cars swerved around them. Horns blared and honked, meanwhile she tried holding onto her seat.

Her mom's warning flew through her head right before another car slammed into theirs.

A scream tore out of her throat as she lost her grip. The seat belt yielded and she flew forward, but then it stopped and yanked her back. It snapped against her chest and she cried out amidst the chaos around her.

When the cacophony of shattering glass and crumpling metal ended, she managed to dredge a modicum of strength to focus her eyes.

Stars danced in her vision. The world seemed wobbly, blurry. Her throat was on fire. Everything was sore, and the pain was only growing. Something warm dribbled down from her forehead.

She weakly tugged at her seat belt, but it didn't give. She turned her attention up to the front of the car then and tried leaning forward. The seat belt kept her mostly pinned, but she managed to pull herself far enough to get a view of the front.

The windshield was cracked. Metal was visibly crumpled, and her parents were lying against airbags. Specks of glass shifted and fell as they took shallow breaths.

Kamala looked between them, then outside. Their winged pursuer landed in the street, blade piercing the pavement and gouging out a thin trench when she ripped it out.

"Kamala!" A ghostly hand grabbed her shoulder and Marinette pulled her to the right. "We need to run!"

She blinked at her sudden appearance, but another tug from the ghost snapped her out of her stupor. She thrust a hand for the door handle and pulled it open. A frigid spray of rain and wind struck her, but she persevered. Fumbling with her seat belt, she yanked it off and crawled outside, climbing out into the open.

She hit the ground and groaned, then got up as lightning cracked and thunder rumbled. The world was lit bright white, then faded into dark gray.

"Kamala, come on!" Marinette was next to her now, crouching beside her. "If we stay, she'll come after your parents too!"

She looked at the ghost, then at her parents in the car, and finally over at their pursuer. The sword-wielding teen cleaved a car in two and tore the halves apart, throwing them out of her way.

Her chest felt tight as her heart pounded, but she forced herself to swallow the lump in her throat. Scrambling to her feet, falling over, and getting back up, she turned then ran.

Dread and terror pooled into her heart, filling every fiber of her being with fear. However, she pushed herself to keep going. She threw looks over her shoulder every other second to spy the monster chasing her. Whenever her eyes were forward, she searched for every corner and every obstacle to use.

She ran past lampposts, newsstands, parked cars, corners, streets, a fence-

Suddenly, a gust of wind pushed her down. She cried out as she lost her balance and slipped, tennis shoes leaving the ground. Just before she face-planted against the asphalt, armor-plated arms wrapped around her waist. Then, she was flying.

A scream tore out of her throat as she struggled against her winged pursuer. Adrenaline coursed through her body, burning through every limb and searing through every part of her brain. She darted her eyes about, searching for an opening or an out.

Just as soon as she'd lifted off, though, she came crashing down.

She met the wet, slated rooftop of an apartment building with a slam. Her body was sore, and she tasted blood. Everything was cold, but everything was hot. She could run a marathon and fall over and die.

"Kamala Lavillant-Couffaine."

A silver blade scratched the slating in front of her. She followed the weapon up to a plated arm, then to the blindfolded teen pacing in front of her. Her black hair was matted by rain and her face was stone cold, yet she could not forget the fury that'd been etched into that face an hour ago.

"Amicia?" Her breath hitched. "Y-You're Amicia?"

Lightning cracked the sky open, revealing her scowl.

"My name is Nemesis!" She flared her wings and raised them high. "I am judge, jury, and executioner! And you are the accused!"

She leveled her sword with her throat and a whimper climbed out of her mouth.

"Amicia, please-"

"Silence!" She crouched and grabbed her throat. "Look at you. Where is your pride now? Can you shut this out too?" She squeezed harder and she pawed at her wrist. "Come on, I'm waiting."

She gagged and wheezed and coughed and choked. The rain dripped from her lips, but the air barely made it in. She pawed at her gauntlet-clad hand desperately, but Nemesis only scoffed. She tightened her grip.

"You were so content with keeping to yourself, no matter how much your ignorance harmed others." She raised her up, feet just barely brushing the ground. "Do you even know what you did?"

She shook her head frantically, rain spraying from her flying hair. Nemesis just rolled her eyes beneath her blindfold. "Of course, you didn't."

Nemesis dropped her. She hit the ground and heaved in a breath, coughing when rain ran down her throat. Lightning cracked and she curled up, knees tucking to her chest while she wrapped her arms over them. Looking up with a hand covering her face, she stared wide-eyed at the winged monster.

"Judgement has come, Kamala." She raised her sword, then flipped it upside-down. The blade touched the rooftop and weighing scales on either side of the hilt swayed as it balanced itself, despite the howling wind and crashing rain.

The leftmost scale tipped, and she felt her heart plummet.

"Guilty."

In a single, swift motion, Nemesis swiped her blade and raised it high. Lightning cracked, thunder rumbled, Kamala screamed, and a purple, fur-collared figure pounced off a nearby smokestack.

When she came too again, Kamala looked around to find herself alone. Then, there was a crash and a chimney came crumbling down. Nemesis had been thrown against it and was currently being brutalized by a tall, imposing figure with clawed hands.

Kamala stared up at the tiger-themed superhero Tigerclaw, whose eyes were focused intently on every angry, red mark she inflicted on the akuma.

"You!" She cut. "Don't!" She slashed. "Touch!" She swiped. "Her!" She grabbed her throat and slammed her against the chimney.

Lightning cracked and thunder rumbled once more. The world became lit and Tigerclaw was illuminated in all her ferocity, mouth open in a roar while her black and purple-dyed mane flew wildly.

"Kamala!"

A hand touched her shoulder and she jumped. Scurrying to the side, she peered up at a pink-clad figure whose outfit invoked the image of a pig.

"Pearlescent?" she blinked as the blonde superhero looked her over, checking every bruise and cut with a terrified eye.

"Are you hurt? Did she do anything to you?" Pearlescent cupped her face and pulled her close. "Please tell me you're alright!"

"I-I'm okay!" she pushed away from her and looked over at Tigerclaw, who battled the akuma relentlessly. "H-How did you find me?"

Pearlescent looked at her, blinked, then turned her gaze away awkwardly. "Your parents! We found their car and they said the akuma was after you!"

She stared at Pearlescent, her mind pulling back to process her claim. Memories of old cartoons and stories about real life monsters played through her head. She squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed her temples.

"What's an akuma?" She gripped the superhero's arm tightly. "My maman called Amicia an akuma and she's calling herself Nemesis, and- and you just called her an akuma-"

Pearlescent cupped her face again and forced her to look her in the eye.

"Hey! Hey, calm down! You're okay!" She let go of her face and set gentle hands on her shoulders. "It's a long story, and your parents will explain everything, but right now we need to get you out of here!"

As if on cue, Tigerclaw flew into a chimney next to them. There was a spew of soot and debris, then the superhero was buried under a pile of bricks.

Pearlescent whirled around and faced down Nemesis, who flourished her sword and wiped her bloody mouth.

"Stand aside or face judgement!"

Kamala stepped back, but Pearlescent put an arm over her. The pig-themed hero stood her ground against the storm and the akuma. "Never."

Nemesis cocked her head, then flipped her sword. It touched the ground and swayed left to right, then leaned to the left.

"Guilty." Nemesis swiped her weapon and surged forward. "Face judgement!"

Before Kamala could scream, Pearlescent pushed her back and raised her arms. Her back hit the rooftop, and then she was sliding. Panic struck her when she realized she was heading down to the edge. But then, just as she screamed, turquoise arms wrapped around her.

She was weightless. Floating. Then, she was sitting in someone's arms.

"Hey, kid." She looked up at a blue-haired man dressed in turquoise scales. "You okay?"

Viperion stood tall and protective over her, a resolute shield. He carried her through the rain while she trembled in his embrace, unable to find or form words. Instead, she nodded timidly, only to stop when she remembered everything leading up to the attack.

"My parents." She croaked, voice faltering. "My parents were in the car! I- I left them there-"

"It's alright, kid." Viperion reassured her. "Pearlescent found them. They're okay, and when the fighting's over I'll take you to them."

He set her down and she suddenly became aware of their surroundings. Concrete walls rose up and met at an arch, which opened the way to the métro. The platform was full of people meandering about, but some had stopped to stare at the superhero beside her.

"Stay here, alright?" He squeezed her shoulders and gave her a gentle shake. "Stay safe. Oh, and your parents wanted you to have this." He held out her backpack, which looked a little worse for wear, but still holding together.

She took it, and with that, he turned and charged back into the storm. She stayed standing there for a time, watching the rain pour down the métro stairs while the sounds of battle rang out with the crashing of thunder. Slowly, though, whispers wormed their way into the back of her head.

She had to do something. She had to save her parents. This was her fight too. Amicia was after her and people were getting hurt because of her… but she couldn't fight Amicia.

Kamala took a step back. Then another. And another.

Her hands balled into fists, her chest tightened, and her breathing grew rapid. Yet, she couldn't take a step forward. She could only take another step back.

"Um, excuse me, mademoiselle?"

She twisted around to face one of the métro denizens, a man in a long coat. He backpedaled from her, retracting a hand that'd been reaching for her shoulder. She stepped away from him, sudden anxiety overcoming her.

He tilted his head. "Are you okay?"

She stared at him, a thousand responses surging through her head. In the end, though, her fight or flight instincts kicked in and she ran for it.

The man called after her while the people she ran past cried out in alarm. She dodged and twisted around random pedestrians, weaving her way through the crowd until she found the women's restroom.

Bursting inside, she pushed back against the door. She waited a second, holding her breath. No one came and banged on the door, so she let it go. Without the will to push herself up, though, she slid down and came to sit on the restroom floor.

Tears ebbed down her face before they began to pour. Snot ran from her nose and she sniffled, hugging her backpack close. Her walls cracked, but they didn't break. All she'd kept pent up leaked, but nothing came flooding out.

"Kamala."

"Ah!" She jumped, dropped her backpack, and banged her head against the door.

Marinette flinched and hissed. "Ooh. Sorry."

She rubbed the back of her head and glared at the ghost in her head. "Where have you been?"

Marinette shrugged and stood up, eyes traversing the public restroom. "I don't know. I'm still not sure how this whole 'me living in your head' thing works. If that's even what's going on." She kicked the floor and looked over at her sitting there, curled up and into herself. "But, besides all of that. Are you okay?"

Kamala stared at her, long and hard. She tried to convey it all in her eyes alone, but tears blurred her vision. She wiped them on her arm, but the turmoil in the pit of her stomach raged with a fury she couldn't hold in.

"No! I'm not!" She grabbed her head and sunk further into herself. "I'm not okay!"

She ripped her head out of her hands and showed Marinette the pain on her face. The anxiety and the frustration and the absolute fear she felt right then and there.

"I'm talking to a ghost! I'm wet and I'm freezing! My parents are probably the same, but they're trapped in our car! Probably hurt! And I'm stuck here because I can't do a single thing right!" She grabbed her head again and buried her fingers in her hair.

"Hey, hey." Cool, transparent hands slid beneath her chin. "It's alright, Kamala."

"But it's not!" She tried to shove the ghost away and she did, the spectral woman stumbling back onto her butt. No anger or offense showed on her face, though. Just guilt and understanding.

"You feel useless." Marinette pulled her knees to her chest, mirroring her. "Like the whole world's gone insane and you can't do a single thing about it."

Kamala watched her. Marinette watched back. Slowly, but steadily, her breathing calmed. Yet, the dread remained like a ball of cold lead in the pit of her stomach. "What can I do?"

Marinette looked her over, from head to toe. She studied her tiny, insignificant figure before she dropped her head and sighed.

"A long time ago, a friend told me that evil only wins when good people do nothing." She took her hands and gave them a gentle squeeze, her touch comfortingly warm. "You have the Ladybug Earrings. You have the power to stop this, to save lives."

"Ladybug. Earrings?" She looked over to her backpack, lying soaked on the floor. "Wh-What do you mean?"

Marinette sat down cross-legged and took a composed posture. The mirror she'd been staring into disappeared, and in its place was a woman who seemed far older and wiser than she looked.

"What do you know about Ladybug? About akumas?"

Kamala opened her mouth, then closed it. She thought back to the car chase, when her mother had called Nemesis an akuma. She faintly recalled old cartoons and toys about things called akumas, colorful, gaudy monsters. Then, thinking on that, she remembered running around her living room, jumping off chairs and throwing a red and polka-dotted yo-yo her parents had bought her.

"Ladybug was a superhero." She looked up at Marinette. "But… she disappeared."

Marinette's sucked in her lips and looked away, nodding with a solemnness that echoed with age. "Yeah… I did."

Kamala blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"

Marinette looked back at her, a faint smile on her face. "Fifteen years ago, I put on the Ladybug Earrings. I became Ladybug, to protect Paris, to save my friends and family."

She stared at the ghost in her head, awe mixing with shock. Disbelief battled with reasoning and she tried conceiving some idea on how this was possible. Yet, she couldn't come up with anything.

"What happened to you?"

Across from her, Marinette bowed her head. "I don't remember much, and there's a lot that I don't want to share… but the bottom line is, I can't be Ladybug, and she's the only one who can stop an akuma."

Kamala sucked in a breath and tucked her knees to her chest. "So, what do we do?"

Marinette stared at her. Then, she glanced at her backpack. Kamala followed her gaze. The gears turned in her head, and then it clicked.

"Mon dieu."

"You're the only one who can put them on."

"I-I can't do that! I'm not a superhero!" She shot up and pressed herself against the door. "I'm-"

"The only one here."

Marinette stared at her. She stared at Marinette. Silence reigned between them before she sunk back down. She held her head, trying to keep the churning, chaotic storm of doubt and logic from exploding outward.

Then, suddenly, the subway shook. Clouds of dust fell from the ceiling as the lights flickered. There was screaming and shouting from outside, then hands banging on the door before whoever was there ran off to find another hiding place.

Kamala pressed further into herself and whimpered. "I don't want this!"

A warm, comforting hand touched her shoulder.

"I know you don't." Marinette touched her other shoulder and gave her a gentle squeeze. "But right here, right now, you're the only one who can save the day."

The ceiling quaked and more dust fell. She winced, then looked up at Marinette. Her bluebell eyes held confidence and reassurance, a comforting inspiration that planted a seed of hope in her.

Kamala looked inwards then, and she thought about herself. She thought about her family, her parents. She thought about her saviors, who were still fighting out there. She quivered, both from fear and the cold, but slowly she moved towards the warmth radiating from Marinette.

Eventually, she mustered the courage to look her in the eyes again. "What do I do?"

For a second, Marinette watched her, then she grew a smile. "Put on the earrings, then incant the magic words to transform."

She nodded and reached over. Searching her backpack, she opened the main compartment and sifted through her ruined notebooks and drenched textbooks. Then, pulling out the octagonal box that started all of this, she opened them.

The earrings inside were plain, pure black. Nothing special. Everything mundane. She picked one up and looked it over.

"Here," Marinette said, reaching over and touching her hand with care, "let me help."

With careful guidance, she maneuvered one earring into place. She didn't need her help to pin it, but she did with putting the other on.

A moment later, she stood up and walked over to the mirror. She stared at herself, then looked at her ears. The earrings were practically non-existent, mixing in with the rest of her attire.

"So, magic words?"

Marinette, who stood tall with her arms crossed, nodded. "In order to transform and become Ladybug, you have to say: Spots. On."

There was a pause. Marinette frowned. Kamala squinted.

"That's it?"

Marinette's face scrunched into disbelief and she slumped her shoulders. "Yes, that's it- Look, it was a lot more exciting for teenage-me who didn't know magic existed."

The former Ladybug's flustered expression brought a faint smile out of her. A giggle escaped the teen, but she coughed to stifle it.

"Sorry, sorry…." She looked back at the mirror, then at Marinette. "So… Spots on?"

The world went pink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, the break into Act Two begins.  
But before we can get to the fun and games, we've got Kamala's first akuma battle to get through.  
And I've still got to write it.  
But I've gotta limit my screen time so I don't have another seizure.  
Yeah... heh... thanks for reading.


	5. When Good People Do Something

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Miraculous faces the first akuma in fifteen years. Meanwhile, Kamala takes up a mantle that was forsaken long ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the huge hiatus, guys.  
I got extremely busy with end of the year stuff, like final projects and classes and graduation.  
However, I managed to get this out as a late holiday gift.  
So, I'm just gonna let you enjoy.

"Don't be bemused, it's just the news! Mireille Caquet here, coming to you live from the TVi Studio! Folks, we're sorry to interrupt your afternoon broadcasts, but we have breaking news! After fifteen years, the supervillain terrorist known as Hawkmoth has returned! That's right, he's back, and he's brought with him one hell of an akuma!"

"Due to the ongoing storm, we are unable to obtain clear footage of the akuma. However, we do have eye witness reports and a variety of amateur footage posted online. According to our sources, the akuma is named Nemesis and appears as an angel. However, appearances are deceiving! Sources claim she wields a sword and has beaten back members of Team Miraculous, Pearlescent and Tigerclaw."

"Currently, we are tracking reports of Viperion entering the fray. So far, that makes three against one, but the question remains. Where is the rest of Team Miraculous? And can they stop this akuma?"

* * *

The fighting had moved across Paris, from the rooftops in the 21st arrondissement to those of the 16th. Nemesis beat her wings against the storm, weathering the falling rain as she pursued the trio of superheroes. The three in question ran frantically, throwing glances over their shoulders on the occasion.

"What was the plan again?" Pearlescent called, bouncing from ledge to ledge.

Tigerclaw bounded past her across a stretch of slating. "We need to get her away from the populace!"

Viperion dropped down and rolled into a sprint beside them. "Parc des Princes is up ahead. We isolate her there, the rest can find us!"

The trio exchanged nods and pressed onwards against the torrent of rain. Behind them, their winged shadow kept pace, fighting her way through the chaos of the storm. Though the winds howled and threw her about, she stayed on their backs.

_ "Remember our deal, o' champion mine. In exchange for the dispensation of justice, you will draw out the bug." _

Nemesis gripped her sword and glared into the dark sky. "I haven't forgotten."

_ "Then, go. Bring me the Earrings." _

"How do you even know she's still alive?" Nemesus craned her head across the Parisian cityscape. "She disappeared with you fifteen years ago."

_ "She lives. Trust in me, and I shall provide." _

Before she could interrogate her master further, a whip wrapped around her foot. She looked down shortly before Tigerclaw yanked her out of the sky. She couldn't recover before she slammed into the roof of Parc des Princes.

"Okay, what now?" Tigerclaw took a defensive stance.

Next to her, her brother rolled his shoulders and pressed a finger on a string of his harp. "I don't know, I didn't think this far ahead!"

"Get her inside the stadium!" Pearlescent grabbed her wife's arm. "Come on!"

All three dived into the football stadium, landing in the field below. Not long after, an armored hand clenched the edge of the roof and Nemesis peered down at them.

The akuma dropped down after them, sword at the ready. The heroes were waiting for her, spread apart equally. They had her cornered against one end of the field, the barrier rising against her back.

"It's three versus one!" Pearlescent pulled a fist back. "Surrender now!"

Nemesis snarled and extended her wings. She flourished her sword and took an offensive stance, prepared to charge them.

Then, the hairs on her arms stood up. She paused, caught off guard. The heroes stopped too, exchanging looks before they looked to the sky. Dark clouds coalesced above them as arcs of lightning lit up the sky above.

"We should move." Tigerclaw backed up. "Now!"

Nemesis tilted her head and looked to the sky in search of whatever they'd seen. Lightning cracked open the sky above and she briefly spied a scarlet red figure.

A bolt of lightning struck into Parc des Princes, tearing apart violently to reach for the metal all around it. In a matter of seconds, the green field had been blackened and a crater had been left in one end.

When the smoke cleared, Ryuuko rose up and scanned her surroundings. Residual webs of electricity crawled across her figure as she rolled her shoulders, flexed her fingers, and popped her neck. She tore her sword from the ground and gave a brief flourish before sheathing it on her back.

From afar, Tigerclaw, Pearlescent, and Viperion watched in slight awe. Eventually, they worked up the courage to tread into the aftermath of her entrance.

"Wow." Viperion took tentative steps behind his sister and sister-in-law. "I always forget she can do that."

Tigerclaw shrugged. "She is the strongest out of all of us."

"Indeed." Ryuuko strode up to them, wearing a hint of a smile before she dropped into a composed, deadpan expression. She shifted her weight to one side and put a hand on her hip. "I came as soon as I heard. The others should be arriving soon."

As if on cue, a portal opened beside them. Roi Singe, Pegase, and Bunnyx leaped out, giving battle cries and brandishing their weapons. The others stared at them until they stopped yelling.

"Uh… did we miss it?" Roi scratched his head.

"Yes."

"Yeah."

"Mmhm."

"Sorry, man."

He slumped his shoulders and moaned while Pegase patted him on the back. Tigerclaw and Pearlescent snickered while Ryuuko crossed her arms, all the while Viperion strummed his harp absentmindedly.

All the while, Bunnyx lolled back and groaned loudly. "First akuma in fifteen years and we miss it because you couldn't find your circlet!"

"It's not my fault Ondine won't let me wear it to bed!"

"It's not my fault Ondine won't let me wear my circlet in bed."

Roi glared while Bunnyx stuck out her tongue. Their teammates laughed while Pegase inched towards the field, eyes scanning the charred grass.

"You did say you got the akuma right?"

Ryuuko turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "I did. Not many things survive a direct hit from a lightning bolt."

"So, what's that?"

He pointed towards a blackened lump amidst the rubble. Wings darkened with ash and soot shook the residue from their feathers as Nemesis stumbled to her feet. She stumbled and trembled, her body recovering. Yet, she held her sword tightly and dug it into the ground as she took a knee and glared across the stadium.

"Alright, eyes up, everyone. Let's do this."

Team Miraculous stepped onto the field together. Ryuuko drew her blade while Viperion readied his harp. Tigerclaw pulled out her whip, giving it a quick crack, while Pearlescent pulled back a fist, a pair of coils on her arms pulling with it. Bunnyx swung her umbrella, Pegase tossed his horseshoe, and Roi Singe twirled his staff.

Nemesis stood up and stood tall, her wings folding back while she held her sword tightly. Her enemies gathered before her, encircling her. She took a step back and craned her head, eyeing them beneath her blindfold.

"Seven against one!" Bunnyx called. "Give up and we'll go easy on you!"

Nemesis looked over at the rabbit-themed hero, seemingly sizing her up. Bunnyx gave a glare, but the winged akuma didn't falter. Instead, she rolled her neck and shoulders. Then, in a single, swift motion, she flipped her sword so the tip of its blade pointed to the ground and dropped it.

Sharpened steel never touched wet ash. Instead, the weapon held still over the ground. Suddenly, it swayed left to right, small scales on either side of the hilt moving with it.

"I am Nemesis." The akuma looked across them all. "I judge your weakness, and I make them my strength."

She flourished her blade and suddenly rushed forward, a blur of silver and gray. Ryuuko had barely a moment to raise her sword before the akuma slammed into her. She was a red streak that shot into the stadium barrier, disappeared into a plume of dust while Nemesis swung her sword and parried blows from Bunnyx and Roi Singe.

Pearlescent rushed her from behind, but she twisted about and caught the fist. The pig-themed hero froze, stupefied, but then Nemesis struck her in the face with the pommel of her sword. As she staggered back, Nemesis turned and swung her weapon to strike Viperion's harp out of the air while kicking a leg back to send Pearlescent flying.

Amidst the chaos, Pegase threw his horseshoe, but she raised the flat of her blade, with a hand pressed behind it, and blocked the projectile.

Tigerclaw attempted to capitalize on the distraction, wrapping her whip around the akuma's arm. However, Nemesis merely pulled against the tiger-themed hero's yank before she shot up into the air. Tigerclaw gave a cry as she was left dangling underneath precariously. Just as soon as they'd risen, Nemesis shot back down, driving her knee into the woman's stomach.

While Tigerclaw lay holding her midsection, Bunnyx and Roi Singe rushed in. The former jumped at her first, swinging her umbrella. Nemesis stepped back from each attack, before she surged in with her sword. Their weapons clashed and they dueled while Roi Singe circled them.

Just as they entered a power struggle, blade locked with umbrella, the monkey-themed hero jumped at her from behind. She glanced back in time to catch his grin fall as her wings shot out and knocked him back. She caught a blur of white as Bunnyx surged under her guard then, but she beat her extended wings to fly backwards.

However, she didn't give the rabbit-themed hero time to capitalize on the brief reprieve. Almost immediately after landing, she beat her wings again to fly at her opponent. Her knee met Bunnyx's face and while the hero stumbled, she swung.

Roi Singe managed to somersault over her in time to block the blow with his staff, but the force sent him stumbling into Bunnyx. Before either could recover, she jumped up and beat her wings, blasting them back with a gust that sent them reeling.

Team Miraculous stumbled to their feet, shocked and jarred. Some bore scowls, others grimaced. All the while, Nemesis flourished her blade and extended her wings.

"Come, heroes," she drawled, "meet your match."

* * *

The world was pink. Bright and disorienting, yet calm and comforting. There was a sensation of warmth, flowing through her with the steadiness of a stream even as it surged from the core or her very being to her fingertips.

It lasted an eternity, then it was over. She looked around, searching for the ghost in her head, but she was gone. Spying the nearest mirror, she stumbled over to it, suddenly aware of the change in weight to her attire.

Gazing down, she stared at her teenage figure covered in scarlet red and black polka dots. Then, looking up, she gazed at a red and polka-dot mask framed by a brown face.

Kamala Lavillant-Couffaine stared at the mirror, but Ladybug stared back.

"Whoa." She looked at her hands, then ran one over her arm.

The material was… it was something. Not thin, but not thick. Smooth, yet textured. Under the restroom lights, she studied a barely visible, hexagonal pattern running over the suit.

_ "Pretty cool, right?" _

"Ah!" She jumped and looked around, but no raven-haired woman stood next to her. "I told you to stop doing that! And where are you anyways?"

_ "One, I can't stop doing that. I'm a ghost. Two, I think I'm in your head. Like, I'm actually 'in here-in here'." _

She glanced around, then at the mirror. Marinette wasn't around her or facing her. There was just… her. After a moment, she stepped back and looked herself over again.

"Okay, so... what do we do next?"

_ "We go find the akuma and we beat it." _

She blinked. "Okay, how do I do that?"

_ "You find it... and you beat it." _

She frowned. "You know I've never, like, fought anything before, right?"

_ "Look, it's not that hard. All you have to do is find out where their akuma object is, break it, then purify the akuma that comes out so it doesn't multiply." _

She let the gears in her head turn before she opened her mouth again. "That's a lot of steps."

_ "It's three steps!" _

"Well it feels like a lot, okay!"

The ghost in her head, who was now actually in her head, sighed. _"Alright, look. We don't have a lot of time for this. So, listen carefully… Mon dieu, how am I gonna explain this?"_ After a moment, she spoke up again, _"Alright, so, first thing's first, the yo-yo on your waist? That's what you use to fight, to get around the city, and to call for help."_

She looked down at her waist and unhooked the yo-yo from her belt. Looking it over, she turned it around and over, then tried prying it apart. It flipped open like an old flip phone, but the inside was full of high tech buttons, screens, and… other things… a lot of things….

She stared at her yo-yo, a bit of anxiety trickling into her soul.

_"Yeah, don't, uh… just don't worry about that right now."_ Marinette hummed in her head. _"You just need to learn how to swing and fight."_

"Is it hard?"

_ "Uh… You know what, let's start with swinging." _

She sighed and made to step away, but stopped. Looking down at herself, she studied her figure. "So, wait? Is this it?" She pulled at her supersuit. "It feels like I'm wearing a me-shaped glove."

_ "Uh, I mean, I didn't get to change my look… but I wonder…." _

Marinette trailed off into silence, leaving Kamala standing there awkwardly. After a few seconds, she felt a sudden rush of warmth and sparkles appeared around her neck. Light washed over her figure and shaped itself into the form of a poncho.

"Whoa!" She pulled out the front to study it. "That's awesome!"

_ "You're telling me." _

She stepped back from the sink and did a small twirl. Her new poncho lifted, then fell. A weight hung on her back and she glanced at the mirror to spy a hood attached to the poncho. Reaching back, she pulled it over her head.

_ "Yeah, I thought you'd like a little more privacy. No matter how small and insignificant it is… You know, we should probably get a move on." _

She swallowed and nodded. "Right." Stepping away from the mirror, she moved for the door, but stopped next to her backpack. "Oh! Uh… Where should I put this."

_ "What do you mean where should you put it? The city's in danger!" _

"Well I don't want someone to steal my stuff!"

_ "Just put it in a stall and lock it!" _

"Okay! Alright! Jeez…."

* * *

"Roi! Now!"

Tigerclaw looked to Roi Singe as he landed in a roll next to her. He twirled his staff and sent it flying up as it erupted with magic. In a matter of seconds, the magic ripped itself off of his staff and took the form of a football.

Roi caught it and grinned. He gave her a nod and she turned to the rest of their team, currently engaged with Nemesis. The winged akuma dodged, blocked, and parried their every attack. Hopefully, she'd stay still for this one.

Cupping her mouth, she shouted, "Incoming!"

The other heroes turned to her, then vacated the area. Nemesis glanced around, confused as Roi lined up the shot.

"And he shoots!" Roi kicked the football. "He scores!"

They sucked in a breath as the football careened towards Nemesis. The akuma, in turn, stepped back, twisted about, then threw her right wing out. She slapped the ball out of the air and sent it flying back at Roi Singe. His triumphant cry turned into a terrified squeal, which the football silenced the moment it struck him in the face.

Everyone stared.

Bunnyx blinked and shook her head. "Did… Did that just happen?"

"It shouldn't have!" Pearlescent glanced from their downed teammate to the akuma, who jumped up and hovered in place.

They needed a new plan.

"Tigerclaw?" Ryuuko flourished her weapon and glanced at the tiger-themed hero. "Can you camouflage and hit her from behind?" Tigerclaw nodded as Ryuuko turned to Pegase. "Pegase, I need you to get me close."

Then, they were off. Pegase wrote a circle of light into the air as Tigerclaw bounded forward and called out, "Camouflage!" In an instant, she disappeared.

"Hold on." Pegase took Ryuuko's wrist and they jumped through the portal he'd summoned.

Nemesis was swinging at Pearlescent, trying to stave her off when the dragon-themed and horse-themed superheroes appeared above her.

Lightning arced as blades clashed, Ryuuko and Nemesis swinging and parrying. All the while, Pegase had hit the ground and twisted about to throw his horseshoe. It struck Nemesis in the back, catching her off-guard, just long enough for Ryuuko to break off and glow gold.

Suddenly, she was a cloud of vapor, barely visible as she shot past the akuma. Rematerializing behind her, she swung and struck Nemesis in the same spot. The akuma cried out and whirled around, wings flaring to throw them back.

They held their ground against the gale and Ryuuko called out, "Tigerclaw! Now!"

Barely visible impressions appeared in the ash and dirt nearby. They watched Nemesis recover from their strike, but then they watched her glance over, then whirl around. A hand grasped air, then that air became Tigerclaw.

"I see you!" The akuma threw her into the ground, then blasted her back with her wings.

Pearlescent caught her and the two sat on the ground while the rest of them regrouped.

"How did she do that?" Bunnyx carefully tread to the right, eyeing Nemesis.

"Nemesis." Pegase sucked in a breath. "I think she can counter any of our powers."

"Is that possible?"

Ryuuko gripped her sword tightly. "Hawkmoth's created akumas that could've leveled the entire planet."

Pearlescent helped Tigerclaw to her feet, then turned to her. "If we can't use our powers, then how do we beat her?"

"Old-fashioned way," Bunnyx popped her knuckles. "Roi's out, so we'll have to overwhelm her. Let's hope she can't counter us faster than we can fight her."

"And if she does?"

They exchanged looks as a shadow passed over them. All eyes turned to the sky as something red shot across the dark clouds. A few of the heroes glanced at Ryuuko, then back over at the top of the stadium.

A red figure stumbled forward, polka-dotted poncho flowing with the wind.

* * *

"Uh…" Ladybug stood stiff, a lump in her throat and ice in her veins.

Below, Team Miraculous, the government-proclaimed protectors of Paris stared at her. Then, across from them, Nemesis, better known as her pissed-off classmate Amicia, narrowed her eyes in her direction.

_"Cold feet?"_ Marinette asked, voice echoing in her head.

Words couldn't climb over the lump in her throat, so she just nodded.

_ "You're gonna want to make them hot." _

She blinked. "Wha-"

Suddenly, Nemesis shot up and towards her. Her sword glinted and her wings grew wider with each flap. She gave a yelp and backpedaled as the akuma gave chase. In an instant, the winged vigilante slammed into the roof, blade sinking into the surface.

"There you are, little bug!" Nemesis sneered and rose up.

Ladybug stared at her. Then, she screamed.

Her fight or flight instincts kicked in and she scrambled to her feet, twisting around to run the other direction. Behind her, she heard the akuma flapping her wings again as she took to the skies.

"What am I doing?" She ran the makeshift circuit of the Parc des Princes' roof.

_ "Fighting an akuma!" _

Something whistled behind her and she dodged Nemesis, who swooped past her. A thin gouge was cut into the metal she'd just run over. Her heart was pounding harder, adrenaline was running through her whole body.

"Is it usually this terrifying?"

_ "Give or take!" _

"You're not helping!"

_ "You asked the question!" _

Ladybug jumped forward and landed hard as Nemesis swooped past again, sword cutting through the roof again.

"How do I stop her?"

_ "Find her akumatized object." _

She paused and looked to the sky, watching the silver-armored figure fly about. For a moment, the world slowed and she squinted at the akuma's collar. Nemesis hung in the sky, hovering in place as she analyzed her back. Amidst the gray fabric and glinting silver was a blue pendant hanging off a necklace.

"Her necklace."

_ "What?" _

"Her necklace, it's the only thing that's not… all of that!"

_ "Alright, then get the necklace, break it, and purify the akuma that comes out." _

Ladybug swallowed and looked around. There was no way she could just jump up there and get to the akuma. She could try and catch her when she swooped past, but that'd take timing. Maybe if she made a trap?

Her hand found the yo-yo on her waist and she pulled it off. Slipping a finger into the loop, she swung it and gave the glowing revolution a glance.

"Can this thing break?"

_ "It never broke on me before." _

"Works for me."

She hopped back, then turned and sprinted. The flapping of Nemesis' wings ceased, then accelerated. The wind went quiet and she heard the whistling of air slipping past silver.

Quickly, she twisted around and threw her yo-yo. It bounced off Nemesis' chestplate and the akuma swung at her. She squeaked and fell backwards into a roll, barely dodging the sword.

_ "Nice try, but bad execution." _

"Can you stop with the commentary!"

She got back up and looked around for Nemesis. A shadow grew around her and she jumped forward as Nemesis crashed on top of the spot she'd been lying. The blindfolded akuma growled and bared her teeth, tearing her sword from the roof.

_ "And this is the part where you start to lose." _

"Wait, what-"

Before she could finish, Nemesis surged forward and grabbed her ankle. She yelped, then screamed as she was swung overhead, then back into the ground. A groan escaped her, then another scream as she was swung again.

It took her a second to get her bearings, but when her vision focused into a single image, she found her yo-yo in front of her. Behind her, she heard the ringing of a sword and quickly reached out.

Rolling over, she yanked the string of her yo-yo out and held it up with all her might. Nemesis' sword struck and weighed on it, but the string didn't snap. She was practically hyperventilating as she held off her akumatized classmate.

Her opponent, in turn, crouched over her and pushed her weight down on the blade. It inched closer to her face and she whimpered. But then, she noticed Nemesis' bent legs and her own free ones.

Acting swiftly, she planted a foot on the akuma's stomach. Nemesis froze and looked down just before she kicked her off. Surprisingly, she sent the other teen stumbling away.

"Whoa." She pushed herself up. "That's new."

_ "The earrings do more than give you a snazzy supersuit." _

She eyed the akuma who recomposed herself and took a defensive posture. "You still haven't actually answered my question. How do I beat her?"

_ "You'll need to use your Lucky Charm." _

"My what?"

_ "How do I explain this? Uh, it's your trump card. Your secret weapon. It'll grant you an item you can use to solve any problem." _

She cocked her head. "Then why didn't I just start out with that?"

There was a flash of silver in front of her and she scrambled to her feet. Nemesis stood tall, wings rising high and sword pointed down.

_ "You start out with the big guns, she'll hit back with hers." _

Nemesis dropped her sword and it tilted to the left, then to the right.

"How do I use my Lucky Charm?"

_ "Throw your yo-yo in the air and call it out! It'll come naturally!" _

Nemesis' sword was slowing down, leaning precariously to the left.

Ladybug held up her yo-yo, gave it a hesitant look, and then tossed it up. Magic pulsed through her and she cried out, "Lucky Charm!"

There was a flash of pink and a wave of magic washed over her. She squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them as something small and red dropped into her arms. Looking down, she found herself cradling a football.

She did a double-take. "Are you serious?"

"Guilty." Nemesis grabbed her sword and flew at her.

She screamed and jumped out of the way. Nemesis extended her wings, slowing her surge to a halt. She twisted and swung, but Ladybug rolled out of the way. When she got up, the akuma stabbed her sword forward, but she ducked and held the football up.

The sword pierced the ball, impaling it all the way through. Ladybug let out a scream, then stared as Nemesis tried pulling the sword back out. She was struggling.

Swallowing, she twisted and pulled back. The sudden act seemed to surprise Nemesis, whose grip loosened. Suddenly, she was holding a soccer ball with a sword sticking out of it.

She gave it a look, then looked up at Nemesis. Her akumatized classmate snarled. She paled.

Needless to say, she spent the next minute running away with her enemy's weapon while said enemy flew after her.

_ "I'm gonna be completely honest with you, I didn't think you'd actually do that." _

"I didn't even mean to!"

_ "Which just makes it even better! You're a natural!" _

"I have no idea what I'm doing!"

She fell into a roll and slid on her back, rainwater splashing around her while Nemesis flew back up into the air.

_"Nemesis is your nemesis."_ The ghost in her head's tone turned matter-of-factly._ "Her entire akumatization revolves around her being your equal and opposite. But now you have what she uses to be exactly that."_

Getting up, Ladybug ran a hand down the length of the sword until she grabbed its hilt. Lowering it down, she put a foot on the football and pulled the sword free. It glinted and glimmered, reflecting light as she held it up.

She felt something… cold coming from it. Like darkness… and pain… and loneliness….

Ladybug held it up, then turned it upside down. Nemesis perked up, sudden realization coming across her. She dropped the sword as the winged akuma flew at her. It leaned to the left and she felt cold magic wash over her, filling her with a strange sensation.

She felt justified rage and a need for retribution. When she blinked, the world came back into focus and she grabbed the sword. The entire world slowed down and she swung the blade, the metal shining with magic.

Nemesis tried to dodge, but the blade slashed her right wing. The akuma crashed behind her and she turned to watch her get back up. Her right wing was limp, dragging behind her as she grabbed at it.

"Whoa." She gripped the sword and held it up.

Her opponent turned to her, all the fury drained from her face and replaced with a sudden fear. Her heart pounded, but the adrenaline felt good.

Ladybug let out a cry as she charged at her. Nemesis faltered, but rushed her too. She swung a wing, but she slipped onto her back and let the rainwater slide her across the roof. She kept the sword raised, though, and let it cut across Nemesis' left wing.

The akuma went down with a cry, crashing face-first into the roof. Acting fast, Ladybug pushed herself up and sprinted over to her. Her opponent was already trying to recover, but in the moment before they clashed, she tried to run through the thousands of ideas in her head. Only one pushed itself to the forefront of her mind as she looked down at the sword in her arms.

Nemesis made to get up, but she dropped her sword on her. The weight of weapon pushed her back down, enticing a frustrated cry from the akuma. Before she could pick it off of her, however, she was already reaching down and grabbing the pendant hanging from her neck.

Yanking hard, she ripped it off her neck and felt it crumble in her hand. When she opened her palm, she found the fragments settled amidst purple wisps that coalesced into the shape of a butterfly. It glowed with malevolent energies, yet fluttered away like the tiny, majestic creature it was.

_ "Kamala!" _

Ladybug jumped. "Huh?"

_ "Get your yo-yo out, quick!" _

She looked around, then down at her waist. She pulled off her magic weapon and held it up.

_ "Run a finger over it, like you're cutting it open!" _

She obeyed, heeding the seriousness in Marinette's voice.

_ "Now catch that akuma!" _

She looked from the well of light she'd opened in her yo-yo to the butterfly fluttering away. She let the yo-yo drop out of her hand and hang by its string, then swung it and threw it. She snatched the akuma from the air and felt something warm rush through her.

Magic lit in her core and she felt it rush from every corner of her body into the yo-yo. Its cover had sealed, but then it flipped open. From the well of light came a white butterfly, different in almost every way from its original form. She sucked in a breath as it flew away.

"D-Did I just… Did I just win?"

_"Almost. First, you gotta reverse the damage done."_ The ghost in her head breathed in. _"Find your Lucky Charm and throw it in the air."_

She blinked, then looked over at the deflated football on the rooftop. She strode over to it and picked it up. Rainwater leaked from it, but she held it up, then tossed it up. Magic burned through her again and she watched the conjured item flare with pink radiance.

It turned scarlet red, and suddenly she found swarms of ladybugs crossing the entire Parisian skyline. The rooftop of the Parc des Princes was repaired. The football field was transformed from an ashen battlefield to a green arena. Broken buildings across the city were remade anew. The dark clouds that'd hung over the city parted and revealed a new day.

"Wow, that was…." Ladybug took a deep breath and let the scope of everything that'd just happened wash over her. "That was… Wow."

_ "It does take some getting used to." _

She nodded, then glanced at the sun. It was just over the horizon, setting down-

Ladybug froze. "Ah, I need to go!"

She turned in the direction from where she'd come, but Marinette spoke up before she could rush off._ "Aren't you forgetting something?"_

She looked up in confusion, then turned her eyes about. There was nothing around her except a tall, black-haired teen curled up on the ground nearby.

"What?" She scratched the back of her neck. "Are you serious?"

_ "Just go talk to her. Make sure she's alright." _

"But-"

Marinette sighed. _"Look, let me give you some advice, alright? Being Ladybug, being a superhero, it isn't about beating up bad guys and saving the day. It's about being the hero. The little things you do, helping people, telling them everything's alright, even just saying good morning, that's the stuff that stops the monsters. Not fists and magic, just… being kind."_

She stood there, watching the other teen. Her heart was pounding again, albeit at a lesser rate. Yet, guilt bit at her insides and she sucked in a breath before letting it out in a quiet moan.

"Um… Hey?"

Amicia looked up at her with fear, then surprise, and finally wonder, her blue eyes wide and sparkling. She glanced around, hoping there was an out from this. There was plenty of space to run, but nowhere to go. She gulped and looked back at Amicia. "So… you were akumatized."

"Y-Yeah…."

"Do you… wanna talk about it?"

"I don't really remember what happened- er, how it happened-"

"That's not what I mean…." She rubbed the back of her neck. "Uh… I mean, how are you feeling? Akumas are drawn to…"

_ "Negative emotions." _

"Negative emotions, so… were you in distress?"

She bit her tongue while the wonder in the other girl's eyes dulled. Amicia bowed her head then, mouth dropping into a frown as she tucked her knees to her chest.

"Yeah… I was…." She stared into space for a moment, but then snapped out of it to look at her. "B-But I don't really wanna talk about it."

"Oh, well then," she gave a timid smile and stepped back. "Uh, guess I'll just-"

"There's just this brat at my school."

She stopped, swallowed, and forced out a smile. "Brat?"

"She just- Argh!" Amicia clenched her fists and hit her knees. "She just doesn't understand a thing!"

Ladybug bobbed her head and shrugged. "Maybe you should just leave her alone?"

"We're desk partners, so we're going to have to work together inevitably." Amicia held her knees close to her chest and sunk her chin onto her arms. "I know I said some… bad things about her parents, but she-..." She sighed. "It's not fair... Someone like her gets to have amazing parents. But me?" She swallowed and sniffled, wiping her nose. "I never even knew my parents."

The world stood still. It went quiet. And the only thing left in the void was them. She didn't know how long she spent standing there, watching the other girl. Maybe it was a couple of minutes. Maybe it was forever. Whatever the case, she woke up from her stupor when Amicia breathed in deeply and let out a defeated sigh.

"I- Sorry, that was personal. I shouldn't have…." The other teen got up and wiped away her tears. "You should probably go... before someone tries to get your autograph, or something."

She nodded quietly and stepped away, head bowed her entire journey back to the subway.

* * *

Kamala swallowed the lump in her throat and stepped into M. Agreste's classroom. Whatever gossip was being shared stopped. The crowd around Amicia, sitting at their desk, stopped in mid-consolation to the exhausted girl. Their eyes landed on her and each one narrowed.

She gulped, then tread forward.

She didn't get far before Adelene stepped in her way, arms crossed and a scowl on her face. "What do you want, Kammie?"

She looked at her, then at her shoes. Whatever answer she had pre-planned and practiced got lost in her throat. Opening her mouth, she tried to speak, but nothing came out. She closed it, then looked over at the wall.

Adelene huffed and stood her ground. The Chiến Lé twins suddenly appeared on either sides of her. She was surrounded, a David to three Goliaths. Feeling dread wash over her, she took a step back.

"Better find a new seat," Jacqueline sneered.

She gave a glance, then shuffled around them. People scowled and glared in her direction. She passed her former desk, where Amicia dared a look over at her. Their eyes met and she swallowed again.

"Hey, Amicia." She slipped past Jacque, who stumbled back in surprise. "I-"

"What do you want?" Amicia's eyes were sunken and her face was devoid of the pep and pride she'd worn the past two days.

She shifted in place and looked at her shoes again. A voice whispered in the back of her head, speaking not so much words as it was pure, undulated encouragement. A fire sparked in her and she took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry…." She rubbed her arm. "I'm sorry about lunch yesterday, and getting us sent to the principal's office, and about what I said, and getting you akumatized too… I'm… I'm sorry…."

She looked up and met the other girl's eyes. They watched each other, her looking for any sign of forgiveness while she studied her guilt. After a minute, Amicia got up and shouldered her backpack without a word.

Her heart sunk and she bowed her head again. People parted for the taller girl as she stepped away from the crowd. Kamala tried holding in her disappointment and the sudden pang of guilt that impaled her heart like a cold, iron spike-

"Hi, I'm Amicia Lécuyer."

She blinked at the hand in front of her. Nearby, the Chiến Lé twins stared, wide-eyed. Adelene hissed her disbelief next to Amicia, and the girl she'd hurt stood before her, wearing a friendly, welcoming smile.

Kamala looked at her, then at her hand. Tentatively, she reached out and shook it. Slowly, a smile grew on her face too. "H-Hi… I'm Kamala… Lavillant-Couffaine- Kamala Lavillant-Couffaine."

She flushed red, but Amicia just glowed a bit brighter.

"So, wanna be desk partners?"

"Sure."

* * *

"Don't be bemused, it's just the news! Mireille Caquet here, coming to you live from Hôtel de Ville, where are the mayor is set to give her statement on the first akuma attack in fifteen years!"

A massive crowd had gathered within the venue, a majority consisting of journalists and reporters. Cameras were turned to the stage while pencils tapped against notepads. The hall buzzed with energy and questions, but it all silenced when black-suited men walked onto stage, flanking a woman with chestnut hair.

"Please, settle down, everyone." She raised her hand and the venue calmed.

Her masses looked to her and she smiled, feeling their longing for answers. Amidst the suits and cameras, she spied bouncing knees and sweating foreheads.

"Yes, you in the front." She gestured at Mireille Caquet, an old classmate.

"Mireille Caquet, TVi Studio." She held up tapped a pen against her notepad. "Can you tell us why Team Miraculous was not present during the final confrontation with Hawkmoth's akuma?"

She nodded. "As I was informed during the team's debriefing, they decided it best to stay back and interfere if necessary. This… new Ladybug is an unknown variable. We couldn't risk throwing ourselves into the fight, especially after old speculations about Ladybug's defeat a decade ago came back to haunt us."

"Are you saying this could be a ploy to trick Parisians into trusting the former protector of Paris?"

"No, of course not." Mayor Lila Rossi raised her hands and shook her head. "Ladybug was my friend, and I cannot speak ill of her. However, I cannot be partial towards her either. So long as she remains separate from Team Miraculous, Ladybug will be treated as a vigilante and her actions will be scrutinized under the full extent of the law."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Act I has ended.  
Act II begins.  
Thanks for the support, guys. It's been hard trying to write this story out, even though I love the concept and plot I've made up.  
If you haven't already realized, I'm not a big fan of MLB. I enjoy the concept and bare bone structure of it, but the final product is hard for me to even look at.  
Films, video games, and stories in general are a reflection of their creators. For MLB, that's a bad look, especially when you push out Marinette and put Adrien in her place as protagonist.  
So, bottom line, Sins of the Past started out as a way of recreating MLB in a future where everything went wrong and hopefully they'll go right.  
Anyways, tell me what you guys thought! I love hearing constructive criticism and how you guys react to my writing.  
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	6. Down the Beaten Path

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fifteen years ago, Ladybug led her team in the defense of Paris. Fifteen years later, Team Miraculous continues her work under the supervision of the Rossi Administration.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3 months later, I'm back.  
Sorry about the excruciatingly long wait, but getting inspiration to continue writing was kinda hard.  
Hopefully, future updates will be come faster.  
If not, know that I devote a lot of time to how I want these chapters to feel and flow.  
Now, on with the show!

Fifteen years. Over half of that in school, and the rest in politics. It'd taken her almost a decade and a half to build her pseudo-empire. All of Paris was in the palm of her hand, but now a scarlet, polka-dotted hand threatened to take it all from her.

"Mayor Rossi?"

She perked up, gaze moving from her tablet to her assistant sitting across from her. Chris Lahiffe bobbed a knee anxiously while he got off the phone.

"Uh, Team Miraculous is ready for you."

She hummed and reached for the car door. "Thank you, Chris. This won't take long."

Stepping out of her limo, she looked up at Le Grand Paris. Once upon a time, it'd been the home to one of her rivals, then she'd bought it and turned it into a home away from home. Subsequently, it served the same purpose to Paris' team of vigilantes.

Riding the elevator up to the penthouse, she stepped in and found a majority of Team Miraculous already gathered. Bunnyx, Roi Singe, and Pegase lounged on a couch while Ryuuko paced, her arms crossed, while Viperion strummed his lyre absentmindedly. Bovine sat in a chair, his wife Nicher sitting close to him. And beside them, Honeybee worked on a tablet, engrossed with whatever was on it.

"Lila!" Rena Rouge stepped over, waving at her.

"Yes, Alya?"

The fox-themed hero opened her mouth, then closed it. She quickly feigned a wince and offered her a guilty smile.

"Sorry, Rena. I forgot you preferred the persona while in costume."

"Just in case we've got an unwanted guest." She glanced around. "We're not in here twenty-four hours."

"I trust my staff." She crossed her arms and shifted her feet. "Just like I trust you."

Rena/Alya tucked her mouth into a warm smile. She opened her mouth to speak again, but then the patio doors beeped. The polarized glass slid aside, revealing Tigerclaw and Pearlescent.

"Sorry, we're late!" The bubblier of the two hopped over while her wife trailed behind. "We had to drop Kamala off at school."

Everyone had gotten up then. Lila darted her eyes between them as they stepped over. She watched their concerned faces, studying the slight worry in each of their eyes.

"Is she doing okay?" Bovine/Ivan asked. "Getting attacked by an akuma, especially one with a sword…."

"She said she was fine." Tigerclaw/Juleka nodded. "I'm just glad she's not dealing with a broken arm with how that thing handled her."

"Since when were Hawkmoth's akumas so aggressive, anyways?" Everyone turned to Bunnyx/Alix, who looked between them all. "I mean, he turned us into monsters, but we were… weird. This one, Nemesis, she was outright violent."

"It has been fifteen years." Lila waved her hand and strode among them. "Maybe Hawkmoth's lost patience?"

"Or maybe we're dealing with someone else entirely." All eyes were on Ryuuko/Kagami, who'd sat down with her hands pressed together. She raised her head and showed her grim expression. "Back then, we knew who we were dealing with. Now? This could be someone else with a different method of doing things."

She let that set in, let it hang in the air. The room felt tender, far sturdier than before. Lila tugged on her collar and breathed in before sitting down herself.

"What about this new Ladybug?" She drew their attention to her. "Who is she?"

Everyone in the room looked at each other. Those who'd attended Françoise Dupont exchanged tentative faces, probably unsure of what assumptions that should make. The outliers, being Ryuuko/Kagami and Viperion/Luka, looked to each other, then themselves as they mused on the thought. Among them all, Rena/Alya was the one who paced and raised a finger, only to slow down and cradle her chin with said finger.

Time passed idly, and she watched, waiting for an answer.

"She's young." Rena/Alya looked at her, then everyone else. "Probably still in collège."

"Just like we were." Nicher/Mylène looked at her husband. "But she was different."

Honeybee/Sabrina nodded. "Different costume. Different voice, I think. Different fighting style-"

"She didn't even have a fighting style." Ryuuko stood up. "She was running around, trying to avoid the akuma's attacks. She didn't even make a plan, she got lucky."

"Do you think she was chosen?" Pegase/Max crossed his arms. "Like us? Or did she find the Ladybug Earrings by happenstance?"

"Either way she's just a kid." Roi Singe/Kim lifted his hand up. "We can't just, you know, arrest her for being a vigilante."

Everyone exchanged looks again. Lila frowned. Whether or not this was the same or a new Ladybug, she couldn't risk the would-be hero to threaten everything she'd built over the past fifteen years.

"Maybe not arrest," she offered, stepping back into the discussion, "but we still need to talk to her."

"So we keep an eye out." Rena/Alya stepped up to the front, taking command. "We keep up the daily patrols, but if we hear, see, or learn anything about her, we share it. We follow it. And hopefully, we find her and sort this all out. There's no telling where she could be right now."

* * *

Kamala sat in class, bouncing her leg and fiddling with her stylus absentmindedly. Up at the front of the classroom, Mdm. Bustier continued her lesson on mathematics. She wasn't paying much attention to the details, her mind too busy revisiting last week's crazy series of events.

She was still wearing the earrings, though Marinette wasn't hanging around right now. Where did she even go when she wasn't an invisible ghost? Did she just float around her head? Could she hear her thoughts?

Kamala paused. She glanced around as inconspicuously as she could, but she saw no signs of her mental roommate. Bobbing her knee again, she looked at her peers, watching Adelene sneak her phone out and the Chiến Lé twins whisper jokes between themselves. Then, beside her, Amicia was studiously jotting down everything she heard onto her tablet.

Turning her own eyes back to her tablet, she glanced from it to the board and tried scribbling down what she'd missed.

Then, suddenly, the classroom door opened and in stepped a blonde haired man.

"Oh!" Mdm. Bustier set her clipboard down. "Adrien, you're here."

"Uh, yeah." M. Agreste rubbed his neck and cracked an awkward smile. "Sorry, I know I was supposed to come in tomorrow, but I wanted to see how everyone was doing today, so…."

He shrugged and she laughed. Meanwhile, the class murmured and swapped hushed mumbles. She, however, had frozen completely, blood running cold and heart seizing in her chest.

"Uh, are you alright, Kamala?"

She glanced over at Amicia, who'd taken the brief lapse in their lesson to check her phone.

"Y-Yeah, I'm good."

She arched an eyebrow. "Are you sure? Because you look like you're about to have a stroke."

Maybe her brain was overloading and her stomach was doing flips, but she was alright. For the most part… Not at all actually….

"I'm fine." She forced out a smile and Amicia cocked her head back, shooting her a disturbed look.

"Okay then…." She went back to playing on her phone.

Kamala groaned internally and buried her face into her desk.

"So, uh, bonjour, everyone!" M. Agreste waved at them and they reciprocated with a chorus of greetings. "Yeah, hi… Uh, don't mind me. I'm just gonna stand over here."

He took to leaning against the wall opposite of the door, watching Mdm. Bustier as she continued with the lesson. His eyes swept over the classroom a few times, and every single time she had a miniature heart attack. A part of her still felt incredibly guilty about almost killing his freaking dad! The other part was also incredibly worried that he'd hold that against her and think she was a horrible student, and person.

So, as the clock ticked and the class moved on, she kept herself hyper-focused on the lesson. She jotted down notes, wrote math problems, struggled with the math problems, kicked Amicia's foot to get help for said math problems, and then solved the said math problems. Somewhere in the midst of repeating the process, the bell rang and everyone perked up.

"Alright, class!" Mdm. Bustier clapped her hands, drawing everyone's attention off their tablets. "Lunch time! Let's go!"

They got up and filed out of the classroom slowly, filtering out onto the walkway and over to the cafeteria. Amicia chatted with Adelene while the Chiến Lé twins elbowed each other. She made to follow, but stopped when M. Agreste cleared his throat beside her.

"Hey, Kamala, could I talk to you for a second?" He offered a timid smile and rubbed his neck. "You're not in trouble or anything like that."

She stared at him, fear petrifying her on the spot. She gave him a slow nod though.

"Okay, um…" he sighed. "Look, about last week… with my father… I'm sorry about him. He's become… senile, I think. We're not exactly sure. His health is failing and his mental stability is… well, he doesn't have a lot of dreams, according to my mom. Whatever happened at the party, it wasn't your fault. Alright?"

She stared at him, taking measured breaths. Her heart beat calmed down from a beating drum to a steady bump. Slowly, the color returned to her face and she gave another nod. "O-Okay…."

He smiled and nodded back. "Alright, well, go get some lunch."

* * *

"You seriously don't remember anything about being an akuma?"

Jacque leaned over the lunch table while Amicia picked at her food. Jacqueline punched his arm and dragged him back into his seat while Adelene glared. Meanwhile, Kamala chewed on her sandwich, glancing between her desk partner and the others.

"No, I don't, Jacque." Amicia looked up and rested her cheek in her palm. "That's part of the whole akumatization thing, right? Victims don't remember who they were or what they did?"

"Yeah." Adelene waved a plastic fork around. "My parents were talking about when they got akumatized. They had to tell each other what the other did." She glanced over at her. "What about your parents, Kamala?"

She perked up, pausing in mid-chew. Everyone looked at her and she swallowed. "Um… I mean, I haven't really eavesdropped on them, but they gave me the whole 'watch your emotions' talk and stuff."

Technically, it was the truth. Kinda. Half the truth, really. She'd been out when her parents weren't in, practicing swinging around Paris as Ladybug. When they were all in the house, she was getting lectures on 'how to know if you're being rude' and 'how to know if your friend is hurting'. Or course, it wasn't all bad, but she'd already gotten the moral rundown by Marinette, so….

"Sorry again, about…" She shrugged at Amicia, who cracked a smile. "Uh, you know…."

"I already said it's alright." The taller girl nudged her arm. "Besides, I'm kinda glad I don't remember. I imagine me coming at you with a sword was pretty scary."

Kamala blinked and stared off into space. Suddenly, Amicia was wearing a blindfold and beating her wings. Lightning cracked open the sky and her sword glinted.

"Yeah." She gave a kinda-forced laugh. "That was pretty scary."

Everyone looked at her skeptically. Then, suddenly, Adelen groaned and held up her schedule. "We've got PE next, don't we?"

Amicia grinned. "What's so wrong with PE?"

"You know what's wrong."

Kamala darted her eyes between them, then eyed the Chiến Lé twins' mischievous faces. This didn't sound good.

* * *

Kamala was in pain. Utter, agonizing pain.

"Ugh! Everything hurts!"

She stumbled behind her classmates as they jogged the circuit around the school courtyard. It'd been a while since they started, or maybe it was only a few minutes and she was just really out of shape? Whatever the case, she was feeling the burn and it was eating at her legs.

Thankfully, she wasn't the only one. Adelene ended up slogging next to her, huffing and puffing. The Chiến Lé twins were, of course, competing to see who could run faster. And Amicia? Uh… well-

"On your left." Amicia zoomed by, a blur of black hair and blue threads.

"How does she do that?" Kamala heaved.

Adelene gave a groan. "She's the school's star athlete. As in, she's broken her track record every single year."

As if on cue, Amicia came sprinting past again. "On your left."

Adelene ground her teeth. "And she won't stop saying that every year!"

They watched the taller teen huff it around the courtyard, not even slowing or stumbling. She was a human bullet, a virtual speedster… Okay, maybe she was playing this up too much.

Sometime later, Kamala fell onto her back and lay there. Sprawled out on the ground, she threw a limp arm up and cried out, "My legs are dead! Somebody kill me!"

Adelene appeared next to her and fell down in a heap of sweating limbs. She gave a pained grunt, then moaned at the cold floor. "This… This feels nice."

"I know right…."

They lay there for a while, staring at the ceiling while other their peers jogged by them. A few others ended up next to them, tagging out of the

A few seconds later, Amicia came up to them and jogged in place. "Come on, guys! Keep up!" She grinned brightly, smugness mixed in with reassurance.

Kamala weakly lifted her head, failed, and flopped around to loll her head over to face her. "How are you not tired?"

She threw out her arms and laughed. "I can do this all day!"

"Incoming!"

Before any of them could react, a red blur slammed into Amicia's stomach and she doubled over.

It was like the world was slowing down again, coming to a still as the taller girl toppled over. She watched her clutch her midsection, and she listened to the quiet wheeze that escaped her, as well as the shouts and cries that came after. For a little bit longer, she stared, wide-eyed, and then she was scrambling onto her hands and knees.

"Mon dieu!" Adelene waved over the teacher. "Amicia, are you alright?"

"I think someone just broke my breakfast…." Amicia curled up tighter while she looked the rest of her over.

Kamala watched her, then looked over to scan the courtyard. She saw other kids running over and the rest whispering to each other. However, in the background, she spotted the Chiến Lé twins staring at them, pale and frightened. Jacqueline held a dodgeball while Jacque stood empty-handed. He pointed at his sister and she threw her ball at him. Kamala narrowed her eyes, but then turned to the approaching adult, a tall, Asian woman with an impassive face.

"What happened?" Mlle. Tsurugi crossed her arms, but bent down to examine her star athlete.

"Got hit with a ball…." Amicia sucked in a ragged breath. "It really hurts…."

Mlle. Tsurugi sighed, pressing fingers to her temple. "First a meeting with no warning, now this? Ugh!" She flicked her eyes around, then turned to spy the Chiến Lé twins arguing. She glared before rising up, her shoulders squared and impassive face taking on a lurking anger.

Her eyes then turned to her and she froze. "Kamala, can you help Amicia to the infirmary?"

She didn't answer immediately, too caught up in her fear, but Adelene pulled her out of it by nudging her arm.

"I, uh- Yeah! Yeah, I can do that."

"Then get moving."

Without another word, she strode over to the twins, who were in the middle of passing blame between each other. That left her with helping Amicia onto her feet. There was a lot of stumbling, groaning, grunting, and almost puking. Thankfully, though, they got the taller girl to lean on her, an arm slung over her shoulders.

"Alright, one step at a time, Amicia."

"I'm taking a step at a time…."

"Mmhm."

She eyed the other girl's pale face, her mouth hanging open and gaze distant. A part of her was a little nervous to be around her, what with the whole akumatization and fighting her thing. The rest of her heeded Marinette's words, _"Be the hero. Be kind."_

* * *

Adrien stepped out of his car and looked up at his home. Once upon a time, it'd been a prison. He still remembered feeling helpless, having everything done for him and everything he was able to do was under someone's strict supervision. Well, almost everything.

But that was then, and now was… now.

His lips quirked into a smile and he locked his car before making his way inside. The foyer had been cleaned up since the party, but he could still see his friends laughing and chatting. It was a fonder memory than the ones of him trudging to his room, trying to keep as quiet as possible. Not that his father would've heard him from his office, but Natalie was usually at her desk, working on some report.

He wondered how she was doing. Maybe he should try to reach out to her at some point, thank her for everything she did for him back then.

Adrien bobbed his head as he moved up the staircase and over to the room right of his new one. Opening the door, he gave a few gentle knocks. A blonde head stirred on his father's chest.

"Bonjour, mom."

Emilie Agreste gave a yawn, but waved and stretched. "Bonjour, dear. You're back early."

He laughed and set his things down by the door. "I said I was just visiting the school before I went back tomorrow."

"Well, I thought it'd take longer." She crossed her arms and stood up, moving to sit down in the chair besides his father and the machines monitoring his body. "He's doing better, I think."

He blinked and noticed her watching him. Flushing red, he rubbed his neck and took the bench at the foot of the bed.

"That's good to know."

She hummed and rubbed one of his father's hands, drawing circles in his withered skin. "How's your friends' daughter? She must've been terrified."

He nodded. "Kamala seemed alright. I talked to her parents and they didn't want to press any charges. Though, they're still weary of father…."

His mother nodded back, swallowing. "I'm not surprised. I could barely recognize the cold man I woke up to… sometimes, I still can't."

He bowed his head, feeling the air grow tense. It'd been fifteen years since his mother had come back into his life, apparently waking up from some coma in a Chinese hospital. The how and why she got there were blurry, almost unknowable at best. However, that didn't matter to his father, who'd taken a sudden excursion without warning and returned home with the woman he'd only seen on the wall of his office since she'd gone missing.

He knew there was some connection between her homecoming and Ladybug's disappearance. There had to be. Miracles didn't just happen, and if they did, there was always a price to pay.

Adrien rubbed the empty space around his ring finger absentmindedly.

* * *

Life was cruel. Life was brutal. Life took and took, then left you cold and penniless on the sidewalk. It kicked you down and told you that your sins would stay your feet when everyone else moved on with their lives-

"Excuse me, mademoiselle?"

She blinked and looked down past the counter at the little girl looking up at her. She had a book held up in her hands, pulled off a shelf nearby.

"Yes?" she drawled, lids drooping and boredom dripping from her tone.

"Can I check this out?"

"Sure." She took the book and grabbed the scanner by her register. "Do you have a library card?"

The girl pressed her lips together, then shook her head. Then, she ran off to a woman nearby. She tugged on her skirt and the woman fumbled with her purse. After a while, she produced a card and gave it to the kid, who came running back with it toting above her head.

"Here you go!"

"Thanks." She took it and scanned the back, then took the book and opened it up.

A comic depicting the old Team Miraculous greeted her. Each of them were in a separate panel, striking poses. Ladybug stood tall, Chat Noir was lax, Rena Rouge was playing her flute, and Carapace held his shield up. Then, there was Queen Bee, who clutched her top and smirked at her.

She stared, then flipped the pages to the front cover and scanned the laminated barcode.

"Make sure you bring this back in two weeks, okay?" She slid the book back to the girl. "Tell your mom too."

"Okay!"

Then she was off, leaving her to wipe a hand over her face and wonder how it all went wrong.

"Ugh. This is ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, mostly just filler and setup for future events.  
Hope you guys are still interested in the story, if not, sorry that I take so long to update.  
Leave some kudos if you'd like, and leave a comment if you're feeling it.  
I mean, I feed off of your guys' comments because I'm a glutton for praise, but I also take constructive criticism.  
Thanks for reading and I'll catch you guys next time!


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